Something Between Us
by phillydragonldy
Summary: There is a deep connection between Chloe Sullivan and Davis Bloome. Deeper than friendship and even love. Much greater than monster and savior. Where were the lines drawn? And would it be enough to save them all? The Canon(ish) and Offscreensville story of Davis and Chloe and their relationship. This is a very long story that spoils all of Season 8. I own nothing!
1. Chapter 1

Davis Bloome laid in bed and couldn't figure out why he was awake before the alarm. His body knew to sleep when it could. Years of being a paramedic with an erratic sleep schedule, off-hours, and grueling days and nights of work trained his body and mind to shut OFF when it could. So being awake early was very strange. He felt jittery and he didn't know why. It wasn't like the feeling he associated with an oncoming blackout period. It was something...else.

He decided to give up on sleep and do some clean up around the apartment until it was time to get ready for work.

****************************************

Chloe walked down the street towards The Daily Planet. She was 6 blocks away from the building before she was finally able to find an open meter. She knew it was silly, but she just couldn't justify spending $25 per day to park in a garage to be closer. She was daydreaming about what to order at the cafe. She was taking Clark out to lunch to celebrate his first day on the job. Turkey on rye? Soup? No. A burger. With fries. And a caramel macchiato. God, she had missed her fancy coffee drinks in the DDS facility. Even if it wasn't a real DDS facilty, the food sure felt like government issue. It had been appropriately inedible. Now she couldn't stop ordering all the wonderful, terrible-for-you-but-utterly-delicious foods she hadn't had in months.

If she never saw another plate of mac-and-beef or green jello she would die happy.

The billows of dust and smoke in the air, along with sirens and lights and swarming emergency personnel interrupted her happy thoughts as she turned from the cross-street to the block down from The Daily Planet. She hitched her bag more securely on her shoulder and ran up to the police barricade, cursing her choice to wear heels. She quickly saw there had been a terrible bus accident. The burned out husk of the bus was over on its side and people were milling around. She noticed a pretty teenage girl stumbling and collapse to the ground out of view of the rescue personnel. She dodged around the barricade and to the girl's side. The girl was bleeding and coughing. Eyes wide, she looked around and called for help.

"Can somebody help us over here, please?! Over here!"

**************************************************************************************************

Davis arrived at the accident scene. It was a bad one. He knew the Met Gen emergency ward would be busy today.

His finely tuned ears caught the calls of a woman yelling for help. He had particularly good hearing and as an EMT the word "Help" always caught his attention, but this call cut through all the others. He turned and focused on the voice. A familiar beautiful blonde woman crouched down with an obviously injured teen girl immediately captured his attention. It was HER. He had seen her from time to time at the hospital, but had never thought of a way to approach her. The way she held the girl in her embrace instinctively sent a frisson of _something_ through him. He wasn't sure what it was and he didn't have time to examine it. He steeled himself and ran towards the pair.

"Was she on the bus?" he asked the beautiful blonde as he dropped his bag and knelt in from of the girl.

"I don't know."

Davis deftly positioned maneuvered his bag and pulled out an oxygen tank and mask. Unwinding the mask, he handed the tank to the blonde.

"I need you to, uh, hold on to this for me."

"Okay."

Turning to the injured girl, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Bette," the girl answered as she tried to catch her breath.

He turned the knob to start the flow of oxygen to the mask.

"You inhaled a lot of smoke, Bette. We're gonna give you a little fresh air," he said as he pulled the elastic strap out and over her head to secure the mask.

"Take slow, deep breaths. Try to stay calm, okay?" he said as he settled the mask in place. "I'm gonna check you over. Tell me if anything hurts."

He began the quick field examination for concussion - checking her head for lumps and looking into her frightening eyes. The girl's hand gripped over the woman's and her eyes kept turning to the blonde for reassurance. It was as if she could sense that this was a person she could trust.

Davis knew how she felt.

Even with her obvious worry, there was something about the blonde that spoke of a deep strength. Something that made you think that if she was in charge, then everything would turn out RIGHT.

"Hang in there, Bette. It's okay," the blonde woman told Bette, smiling reassuringly.

"You're doing great," he said to Bette, continuing his exam.

His eyes darted to the blonde and briefly met hers. Her eyes were green. He had never been close enough to her before to notice her eye color. Green. He had always liked blue before, but suddenly he found he preferred green-eyed women.

"You too," he said to her.

"Thank god you heard me."

Meeting her eyes again he replied "You're hard to miss."

Looking back at Bette he concluded the exam, "Look at me. Well, Bette, apart from breathing in all that smoke, you're gonna be okay. We should still get you to Met General just to be sure."

He turned and pointed to his ambulance.

"You think you can make it to my rig?"

At her nod he replied, "Okay."

Grabbing the oxygen tank from the ground, he and the blonde helped to lift Bette to her feet.

Looking over Bette's head he asked the blonde, "Can you grab my bag?"

"Yeah of course."

"Thanks, ah..."

"Chloe."

"Davis. You make a good wingman, Chloe - or wingperson."

He made a face at his idiotic comment.

_Wingperson? Get a grip, Davis. What is wrong with you?_

She smiled and raised her eyebrows in an amused and slightly embarrassed-for-him way.

"Thank you for your help," he finished and led Bette to the ambulance.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe picked up Davis' bag and followed behind him and Bette to the ambulance he had indicated. Bette was still stumbling, but he didn't have any problems supporting the girl.

Had he been _flirting_ with her?

Chloe wasn't used to guys flirting with her, especially someone that looked like _him_. It had taken Jimmy nearly a whole summer of them interning together and finally HER asking HIM out before he really noticed her as a woman. And Clark...well despite a few kisses, and lots of soulful talks, he never really had. She was Chloe, his best friend that just happened to be a girl. But not an actual girl. Just female, kind of like his mom was female. It was a state of being, not an viable option. She rolled her eyes at her own train of thought. Great. Now she was comparing herself and Clark's relationship to being like his mother.

But going back to a happier train of thought, she was sure the handsome EMT had noticed. After all, hadn't he said she was "hard to miss?"

Reaching the ambulance, Davis helped Bette down to sit upon a piece of debris while he opened up the back doors. He then helped the girl into the back and laid her down on the stretcher.

Taking his bag from her shoulder, his brown eyes met her eyes again.

"I'll be taking Bette to Met Gen, if you wanted to follow."

"Yeah, that would be great. I'll meet you guys there in a little while."

"Okay."

Turning away, Davis hopped into the back of the rig and secured his bag. As she turned away, he was checking to make sure Bette was secure.

Chloe spotted a familiar tall figure dropping off a little blonde girl to another EMT.

Now why wasn't she surprised to see him at the scene? And filthy? But was he wearing a _dress shirt_?

Chloe strolled up to Clark as he turned away from the EMT with a concerned look upon his face.

"Hey. Clark."

"Chloe? You all right?"

Rushing up to her, he lightly gripped her upper arms and ran his eyes all over her, looking for any injuries she may be hiding. But not in the intent way that said he was using his X-ray vision. She figured her clean clothes and styled hair indicated she hadn't been involved in the crash.

"I just got here. I just helped this girl that was on that bus. What happened?"

Finally convinced that she was indeed intact they started walking and he replied, "Well, I heard there was a bomb on the bus, but I haven't had a chance to check it out."

_Ah. Just like Clark. Even on his very first day at a new job - with a new boss, no less - helping people always came first._

Smiling, Chloe glanced over at him.

"Even a dress shirt can't hide the hero in you, huh, Clark? Heck of a first day at the office."

"Well, that's why I'm there, so I can be around to help more people. Working at the Daily Planet, I'll hear about every crisis as it happens. I just wish that you were there with me."

Stopping and turning to face her, "You know, now that Lex isn't running things..."

Smiling in a slightly rueful way at his earnest expression, "Yeah. I've spent almost my entire life praying to the gods of journalism. It might be kind of nice to try something new, you know? See how it feels."

She had planned to tell him about her new job at the Isis Foundation at lunch. She wasn't entirely sure how he would react to her taking over Lana's job - even on a temporary basis and in a limited capacity as "house-sitter." She had hoped his own elation at working at The Daily Planet would help soften the shock of her new career path. After everything she had been through with Lex tearing apart the paper she had loved so much and then months in that facility, she just couldn't try to go back. She needed to go forward. And part of that was Jimmy. Jimmy would be her future. Clark and The Planet were her past. That was another thing she planned to tell him about at lunch.

Almost as if he read part of her train of though, Clark replied with "Now you're ready for a change?"

Looking down at the gaudy plastic ring on her finger, "Actually, uh... there's pretty big changes."

She maneuvered her hand on the strap of her bag so the ring was more prominent and wriggled her fingers.

His cell phone jangled and Clark looked at the screen, completely missing her gesture.

"Apparently the goddess of journalism is wondering where I am. "

She smiled.

_Ok, so maybe he wasn't reading my mind, but it is fun to watch Lois give him a hard time._

"With Lois on the case, it's gonna get harder to duck away to save the day."

He made a slightly contemptuous face at her amusement.

"If I could hide my secret from you, I think I can handle your cousin."

_Ah Clark - I think you underestimate Lois greatly._ His cell beeped again.

"Huh. Good luck with that. I got to go. Uh, tell Lois that I said to take it easy on you."

She turned away back in the direction of her car.

_Another 6 block walk back and no burger. I hope the hospital has better food than the facility..._


	3. Chapter 3

_Dammit, she had a boyfriend._

Davis got into the driver's seat of the ambulance and closed the door.

The guy he saw her with was really good looking too. Probably a model. And he was probably rich - he'd been in a dress shirt. And saved puppies along with children.

Davis tried not to be jealous that the guy got to touch her. He should have known that someone like her wouldn't be single. He hadn't been able to tell from the limited glimpses at Met Gen.

Snapping the seatbelt closed, he cursed himself for a fool, started up the engine and turned on the lights. He pulled the vehicle away from the scene and headed towards Met Gen.

****************************************

Chloe thumbed through a completely forgettable magazine in the ER waiting room of Met Gen as she waited for Bette. Eventually she gave up on the "Weight Loss Secrets of the Stars!" and just watched the events of the ER. She had coffee, which was pretty terrible, but it was still coffee. Davis had stopped by a few times to update her on how things were going with the girl, for which she was appreciative. He had even been kind enough to direct her to the hospital cafeteria, so she could get a much-delayed lunch.

_Were all EMT's this attentive?_

She didn't think so, since she didn't see any others checking back with people in the waiting area. The doctors did and some nurses. But no EMT's.

The curly fries had been a welcome sight but the meatloaf sandwiches were not. She passed on them and had a salad instead. The sight of the lime Jello caused her to scowl so much the lunch lady had asked her if she was ok.

After draining the last of her soda with a loud slurp in the straw, the tray had nothing left but the greasy bag from the surprisingly tasty curly fries and the bowl that formerly held salad. The empty bowl still swam with ranch dressing. As she passed back by the lunchline with her tray, on a whim, she did double back to the meatloaf and picked up another pack of curly fries for Bette. She figured after the rough day she went though, the girl would welcome some food. Even meatloaf. But not lime Jello. NEVER lime Jello.

**********************************************

Chloe smiled to see a much steadier Bette walking towards her from the back of the ER. The cut on her forehead had butterfly tape holding it closed, but her step was spry and her breathing normal.

Picking up the styrofoam container of food, Chloe greeted her, "Hi."

Smiling, Bette replied in a tired but happy voice, "Hey. Doc says I'm okay, but I feel like I just threw down with a carton of cloves."

Holding out the container with some napkins, Chloe handed it to her.

"Well, I figured you'd be hungry, so, unfortunately, it's meat-loaf Mondays, but I did score you some curly fries."

Gratefully accepting the food, Bette took the container.

"Are you kidding? Hot food's good any day of the week. Thanks."

She sat down and immediately opened the box and tore into the sandwich.

Looking around the waiting room at all the anxious family members, Chloe said, "I, uh, I'm surprised your parents aren't...here."

Putting the sandwich down, she looked directly at Chloe and said, "Look, it's really cool what you did for me and everything, but it doesn't mean I have to tell you my life story."

"I wasn't asking."

"I haven't seen them in years. I'm kind of in-between homes right now."

_Oh._

"You know, why don't I grab you a soda to wash that down?"

Moving over to the soda machine, Chloe's mind kicked into overdrive.

_She's a street kid. She just had a terrible ordeal, I can't just leave her. Aren't there shelters? Metropolis is a big city. I'm sure they have shelters where I can take her to be looked after._

"Hey."

Turning at the sound of his voice, she smiled.

"Davis. Hi."

With a smile of his own, he gestured to Bette, who was back to tearing though the food, he asked "How's she doing?"

"Uh, she got a clean bill of health. But, um, I just found out that she's a street kid. So I was gonna drop her off at the city shelter tonight."

Horrified, he moved in closer to her. He knew what those places were like. He had spent more than enough time in them himself as he ran away from one foster home or another. Sometimes the foster homes were actually really good - that made him leave faster. He couldn't let himself be the reason a good home wouldn't take kids anymore. So he took to the streets, but never the shelters if he could avoid it. You were generally safer on the streets. It was even worse for the girls. But sometimes you had to risk them or freeze to death.

"She's a 15-year-old girl, Chloe. You really think she's gonna be safe at the Metropolis shelter? Not too streetwise, are you?"

Taken aback by his comment after he had been so nice, Chloe replied, "I was just trying to help. If you have any ideas, please, step up. Do something."

As she spoke, a though came to his head. Girls. A shelter. Ann. Ann ran a shelter for teen girls. She was one of the few people in his life that knew some of his own past. They had met several years ago at this very hospital. She had brought in a girl that was under her care that had burned her hand while cooking. He was interested in the way she took these girls that had no where else to go to a an actual safe place to live. His own experiences made him hyperaware of the same situation in others. Beth had asked him to keep an eye out if anyone came his way that needed her help. One of the things they both knew was that living on your own, especially while so young, made a person wary of "help." And sometimes the people that needed help the most were the least willing to admit it.

She sat down next to Bette.

"So, I hear that you need a place to stay?"

Looking up at him and then at Chloe, she responded.

"Not really."

"But if you did, I have a friend, and she runs a home, and it's pretty nice."

"Is she some kind of religious nut? 'Cause I don't really roll with the holy."

Religious? Ann? Haha, he would have to tell her that. Ann was one of the most down to earth people he knew. He thought of the girl that caused their first meeting. She had been taking her turn at making dinner for the group. Though she had very limited cooking skills and didn't realize how hot the outside of the pot of boiling spaghetti would get. Everyone shared the work of the home. But they all helped each other when there were problems too. There were 4 other girls that joined Ann in the waiting room while the doctors saw to their injured friend. Another large part of them learning to help each other and themselves was that Ann required the girls go to school. She also helped to teach them skills to support themselves or get into college once they aged out. She was a firm believer in making your own destiny.

"It's not like that. She helps girls learn some skills, score a job. I can get you an application."

At Bette's look he ended with, "Or...you can forget it. It's your choice."

Stepping forward, Chloe jumped in with, "Look, Bette, you can stay with me tonight if you need to."

Davis looked at Chloe in surprise.  
_  
Did she just offer to let a completely unknown girl into her home? Most people would be concerned about her stealing their stuff. And how would her boyfriend feel about it?_

Mouth full of food again, Bette replied, "You're nice, Chloe. Kind of like a girl scout. I don't want to be your latest merit badge."

Slightly offended, Chloe picked up her purse and started walking away.

"Okay. I'm gonna take my thin mints and head home. I thought you might want a safe place to stay tonight."

"But would I still be a free agent?"

Turning back, Chloe looked at Bette in a very no-nonsense manner. it was a look that Davis instantly associated with the few really good "moms" he had had in foster care. It said, _I know the right choice here and so do you._

"As long as you promise to _think_ about Davis' offer."

Rolling her head to look over at the EMT sitting quietly beside her and then back at Chloe, Bette huffed, "Okay, I'm in."

She smiled at Bette and turned away.

"Great. Let's go."

Watching the byplay and then seeing Chloe turn away without waiting to see it the girl would follow, Davis couldn't help but reevaluate the small blonde. Maybe she wasn't that naive. Maybe she was just that _good_.


	4. Chapter 4

It had started out as a nice day.

Bette had slept like a rock on the couch. And while Chloe wasn't so fortunate, she still felt great this morning.

They both had clean clothes. After leaving the hospital, she and Bette had stopped behind a boutique where Bette had stashed a bunch of things. The girl had a surprising amount of clothes and style for a street kid. She decided not to look into that too deeply, since it was unlikely that Bette had actually _paid_ for most of it. Upon getting back to the apartment, the first thing Chloe did was take all Bette's clothes, (and her own since she hadn't done laundry for a week) and thrown them in the washer in the Talon basement. Thank goodness the Talon now used a laundry service. It meant that she, Lois, and Jimmy were the only people who ever used the washer and dryer now. Well, mainly just her since she usually did laundry for the other two.

They had both then enjoyed a selection of leftover take-out from the fridge. She had noodles and Bette chose pizza. Bette was surprised that she had such vast quantities of takeout when she had a perfectly good kitchen at her disposal. They watched a sappy movie and turned in early.

She chose to ignore the dreams that she had that night. They did not include her fiancé, or even Clark...no, she would not think about her dreams. _Those_ ones...or the weird ones.

She was pretty excited because today she started her fancy new job at Isis. Lana was surprisingly generous with the salary for her to "babysit" Isis. She wasn't entirely sure what she needed to do, but she looked forward to the challenge. She guessed she just needed to answer phones and refer clients. Basically, keep things moving until Lana could find a permanent person to run the foundation.

She had gone shopping over the weekend to make sure she had more professional looking clothes. Lois had come along to "help" and loved it. Lois was always complaining about her clothes. In part she thought that might be because Lois wanted to borrow more of her outfits, but cutesy and Bohemian wasn't to _her_ taste. Well, she figured Lois would start raiding her closet more - for better or worse. No hippy flowers or wild prints in Lana's sleek Isis office. But she did love her new outfit. It was a deep green blouse and matching belted blazer with a pencil skirt that made her feel as sleek as Lois.

One of the few good things about spending months locked in a fake government facility with bad food was that she had finally lost the 10 pounds that she always hated. Well, maybe she hated 15. But now that she was back, she knew those last 5 weren't going away. But she still felt very sleek and professional.

She told herself it was because of her first day at work that she took such care with her outfit and NOT because she might be seeing a certain handsome EMT.

Or Jimmy, for that matter.

She had told him she had a skittish guest staying with her and not to stop by the apartment. As usual, her vague answer got his back up. Finally, she decided to just tell him the whole story of Bette and endure his nervous lecture about letting an unknown street kid into her home. She knew he was only anxious because he loved her.

She had been surprised that Clark was so supportive when she told him about her houseguest. That was until she remembered that he also had a tendency to take in "strays."

She chuckled to herself. _Did that make her as heroic as Clark? No. A couch and a pint of Chunky Monkey and leftover takeout didn't qualify as hero material._ But she kept smiling.

But after getting all dolled up in her pretty new outfit, she sat down to the cafe table in her kitchen still littered with the takeout containers from the night before and began working on her to-do list on a notepad.

1. Call hospital to get contact info for Davis.

She had forgotten to get it from him yesterday at the hospital.

2. Ask him to follow up with his friend with the shelter.

_Maybe he could bring the application by Isis?_

Bette interrupted her train of thought with a plate piled high with beautiful, crispy, grilled cheese placed in front of her. She had seen the girl cooking and, for once, food hadn't immediately registered with her. Her mind had been too full of what to do today.

"Bette! Thank you so much!"

Smiling shyly, the girl crossed her arms and in a chuckling voice replied, "It's just a grilled cheese. No big. All this take-out, I thought you could use something home-cooked."

A knock on the door was immediately followed by Clark coming in the room.

_Why knock at all if you aren't going to wait for a reply? _

She knew that Lex had had a serious hang up on Clark doing that. Maybe he had a point. Could she really be agreeing with Lex about something? Wow, maybe there was something wrong with her head. Or it could just be those weird dreams catching up with her.

Startled, Bette jumped back from the large stranger who had just barged into the apartment.

To Bette, Chloe said, "It's okay. It's just, uh, my friend Clark. Don't worry about it" Turning to the large alien that had so startled her guest, she glared pointedly and said, "What's up?"

Recovering before he could reply, Bette jumped in with "W-wait, I remember you. You helped me get off the bus."

"Yeah, I'm glad you're okay, Bette. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "Did you see anything before the blast? Anything unusual? Anything strange?"

Nervous again, Bette glanced toward Chloe and back to Clark.

"What are you, like a cop or something?"

Catching that Clark was in "hunt mode" Chloe moved to intercept him. She walked over to him and grabbed his arm and pulled him away to speak with him quietly.

"Clark, she's been through a lot. What's going on?"

"The police say there's no evidence of a bomb. I think someone with a meteor power may have caused the blast."

_Oh no_, Chloe thought. _Not another meteor freak going off the deep end._

Piping up from behind them, Bette asked, "What's a meteor power?"

Looking at Clark, Chloe decided to go with a simplified explanation.

"Uh, sometimes, people develop special abilities after being exposed to a certain type of meteor rock."

"Tommy," Bette breathed. "A-another street kid. He told me he found this weird rock a couple days ago, and now whenever he gets angry, things heat up. I thought he was messing with me. We got into a fight today. He was being a jerk, so I ran onto the bus to get away from him."

"Do you know where I can find him?," Clark asked.

"I know where he hangs. I think I can remember how to get there."

Her concern building, Chloe knew this was the time to jump in. More than anyone, she knew that working with Clark when he was on the trail like this could be dangerous.

"Wait, Bette. This guy sounds dangerous. I don't think you should go."

Sensing her nervousness, Bette replied, "Well, I'll wait in the car. I-I can point him out to you."  
_  
Well, it was supposed to have been a nice day_, Chloe thought as she watched Clark leave with Bette.

**Ok, so I had to adjust the timeline here a bit and break these events into 2 days. By canon, they keep switching back and forth with this being in 1 day or 2. It just didn't make sense for it to be all in 1 day, so I broke it into 2.**


	5. Chapter 5

Davis woke up before the alarm again. But this time it was because his mind was going a mile a minute and had been for most of the night.

He only realized after she had left, that he hadn't gotten Chloe's contact information. Boyfriend or no, he wanted to know he could talk to her again.

He had been so wrapped up in evaluating the woman herself that he had completely forgotten that if she did convince Bette to go into Ann's program, that she would need to contact him.

He saw that as his best chance for getting to see her and talk to her again.  
_  
How would he find her? He hadn't even gotten her last name._

His only hope was that she may be on some of the paperwork that was submitted with Bette. Maybe she put her information as a contact or as a concerned person.

He turned over again and punched the pillow.

As he arrived though the doors of the hospital to get into his uniform and pick up his rig, the duty nurse called his name.

"Hey Davis - got a message from you."

Curious, he walked over to her. He didn't often get messages.

Joan, the grandmotherly head nurse eyed him and handed him a slip of paper. It simply read, "Chloe Sullivan called. Cell is 555-555-1234."

A huge smile lit up Davis' face.

Seeing his happy expression, Joan quirked a smile and continued to eye him from over the tops of her reading glasses.

"So it's like that, huh? She seemed like a nice girl."

Beaming at the woman, Davis just said, "I hope it is. And yeah, I think she is."

He was very proud of himself. He waited a whole hour before calling Chloe. Chloe _Sullivan_.

It was a good last name. It fit her. Kind of rolled around the tongue.

He went to the lockers, and changed into his uniform. He picked up his bag and the keys to the rig.

He knew he was smiling the whole time and some of the other drivers ribbed him a little. They all said he must have gotten some fine tail last night to be grinning that much when he still had a full day of work ahead.

He chose not to disabuse them, because god knows that had also been a large part of what he had spent last thinking about.

Finally settling into the front seat of the rig, he picked up the phone and dialed the number. He was kind of surprised he wasn't nervous. He was just excited. Though thinking about it, he wasn't nervous yesterday either. He had talked with her easily, though they hadn't really conversed about anything deeper than Bette's health and the directions to the cafeteria.

She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Chloe? This is Davis Bloome."

"Hi Davis! Thank you so much for calling me! I realized earlier this morning that I hadn't gotten your contact info yesterday. So I figured the best way to get hold of you was to see if I could leave a message for Davis Bloome at the hospital. Thank god, I thought to read you name badge yesterday for your last name."

_She had been curious enough to read his badge? He saw badges all day and couldn't think of the last time he had actually paid attention to one. But then maybe if SHE had been wearing a badge, he would have thought to look._

"Yeah, well, this is me calling from my cell, so now you have my number," he replied, smiling.

"Yeah, excellent!" she chuckled. "An EMT might be a good person to know."

He smiled at the phone again.

"Anyway," she continued, "I wanted to know if you could talk to your friend about the home for Bette. We had a good conversation last night and I think she is willing to look into it."

"Yeah, sure. I'll give Ann a call at lunch today and see if I can pick up an application."

"Thank you so much, Davis. Do you think you could bring it by my office when you get a chance?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Here's the address..." and she rattled off a location in downtown Metropolis.

"Got it."

"Ok, thanks again."

"Yup."

He hung up and found that he was still smiling.

This was going to be a good day.


	6. Chapter 6

She was clearly trying to get herself killed.

She was in a darkened office, balanced precariously on top of a table with her feet pulling out of a pair of green crazy-high heels reaching upwards with a lightbulb towards a fixture that was about 3 inches too high for her to reach.

While he did stand back and watch her for a few seconds, he finally had to interrupt her obvious suicide attempt. Watching her lovely legs stretch, the skirt ride up, and her blouse pull tight over her chest just wasn't worth her getting injured.

"You know, if you just reach a little bit higher, you'll definitely need an ambulance."

Her feet snapped back into her shoes and she turned towards him in startlement, her arm still upraised with the lightbulb.

Smiling teasingly at him she replied, "Guess I'm lucky there's a paramedic in the building." She then turned back around and resumed trying to reach the fixture with the bulb.

He watched her struggle a second longer, pacing forward slowly with his arms crossed, one hand dangling the application.

"Yeah, well, you asked me to bring over this application."

Smiling at her continued intent to reach the fixture, he easily stepped up onto the desk behind her.

"Gimme," he said, taking the bulb from her hand and easily reaching up to the fixture. "Oh, I did talk to my friend. And she says that there's a spot open at the home for Bette."

The room was suddenly filled with a soft golden glow when the bulb settled into the socket.

He smiled and looked down from the warm light to her face. It was bathed in that same warm glow.

She smiled happily, "That's great!" as she looked down from the light to his smiling face.

They both realized immediately that they were separated by mere inches in an empty office.

The air charged with a potent electricity.

The electricity thrilled through him. This was unlike the easy chatter from before. This made him think of silk sheets and the firm body he had just seem outlined by the form-fitting skirt she wore.

He felt his smile vanish in a flash as he searched her eyes to see if she felt it too.

_Please let her feel it too._

Her smile disappeared an instant after his own and he heard her breath catch. Her eyes dropped and she choked a bit nervously.

_So she DOES feel it._

"Um... she could really use some good news right now." She smiled nervously.

He smiled back at her attempt to cover the awkward heat.

"Her day got even worse a little while ago, and she needed some space, so I came here."

His smile vanished again as his eyes dropped to her still nervously smiling lips.

He wanted to kiss her. He had been thinking about it all day. And now he was just inches away from those lips.

_No, she has a boyfriend - the timing is wrong - we are on a desk for god's sake! At least get her somewhere where she won't break her neck._

He stepped back and off of the desk. He extended a hand to help her down. She took it without hesitation and also stepped down.

"Thank you," she said as she reached the floor.

He kept hold of her hand until she swung around to stand in front of him again. Though not as close as before.

He wished they were still that close.

Trying for lightness again, he said, "At least she had a place to stay, thanks to you."

She cleared her throat nervously, and he finally realized he was still holding her hand. He released it quickly and brought up the hand that was holding the application for Bette and gave it to her.

While she was distracted by the paperwork, he took the moment to step back and put some space between them to regain his composure. He moved to look at the logo on the far office wall and collect himself.

_Jesus, man, ease up. You don't want to come on too strong. Calm down, already._

Still looking toward the logo, he said tried to lighten the mood again, "Isis Foundation. So, what - adopt a pyramid, save a sphinx, that kind of thing?"

He turned to look at her again. He was in control again. _Charm and humor now. Not I-want-to-grab-you-and-run-my-hands-all-over-you-while-standing-on-a-desk intensity._

She smiled with something like relief along with humor at his silly comment.

_How had things gotten so intense there?_

The only man who had ever managed to make her feel so fluttery and nervous had been Clark on those rare occasions when things started to get real between them.

But Clark had always inevitably backed off.

Davis hadn't backed off until she did, but now she would take the easy conversation.

"Cute. Uh, actually, it's more like a counseling center. I'm house-sitting for a friend of mine till she finds someone to take it over."

He looked surprised by that.

"I'm surprised I haven't heard of it. The hospital sends out updates on all the mental-health facilities."

Wanting to avoid his eyes a bit longer, she started looking around for something to do with her hands. She had left the damn application over by him. Looking a second longer, her eyes alit upon the dying flowers in the vase on the table. They were from Jimmy last week. He had gotten the start date for her new job wrong and had them delivered last Tuesday instead of today. They looked pretty sad now, but she had been touched by the thought even with the wrong dates.

Picking up the vase and moving around the office behind Davis to the trash she replied, "Well...she has very specific clients - people with special skills that are sometimes a little dangerous." Dead flowers met trashcan.

"What, you mean like...meteor types?"

She whirled around in surprise at his reply and blinked at him stupidly.

He smirked slightly. "I drive an ambulance in Metropolis, Chloe. I've seen a lot of things - at least enough to know that they could use the help."

It was a rare thing for Chloe Sullivan to be speechless. So to buy some time to reply she placed the now-empty vase upon the table.

Davis gazed at her intently with a questioning look and asked, "Have you ever thought about helping them?"

Chloe laughed widely in disbelief. Is that what he thought she did here? No way. "No, I don't - "

Cutting her off, Davis went on, "I saw you with Bette today. You cared enough to take her under your wing. That's rare. And think how hard it must be for these meteor people to find someone they can trust."

It was a nice thought, and he looked so sincere, but it just wasn't possible.

To deflect him, and _yes, to pay him back a little_ for his comment yesterday, she teased out, "Yes, but am I streetwise enough?"

She arced an eyebrow to make sure he caught the jab.

Laughing sheepishly, he replied, "Okay, forget what I said earlier. I can come off a little strong."

Ok, sexy-but-sheepish male was something she knew how to handle. She was feeling back on more secure footing.

"It's okay. At least now I understand where it comes from."

He looked at her inquiringly with his head cocked to one side.

"Understand how?"

_Ok, you stepped into that. I guess it is confession time._ Unable to stay put to meet his eyes, she moved around him back to the other side of the room.

"Well, I googled you." She chuckled at her own brazen response - not that she had googled him, but that she admitted to doing it. "And I read an interview that you gave about running away from foster homes as a kid."

He crossed his arms over his chest and spun around to face her as she circled around him.

"You researched me?" he said in surprise.

_Now it was her turn to look sheepish. _She chuckled at her own nerve and his surprise as she felt the need to explain.

He looked like it was Christmas morning and he had just been given three cars and a private island at the chance to tease her.

"Well, you know, I always kind of wanted my own stalker," he drawled.

He moved towards her, dropping his arms out to his sides, and smiling broadly.

She couldn't help but respond to his delighted smile with one of her own as she moved in to close the distance between them.

"No. It isn't like that, Davis. It's just that - no, really, I-I used to be a reporter, and so I have a serious...curiosity complex." She found herself bouncing in her heels as she finished the comment.

_Why did she suddenly feel so giddy?_

He continued to smile broadly and dropped his head a bit with his own laughter at her silly action.

The action reminded her of a mannerism of Jimmy. And she suddenly burst out, "And I'm engaged."

She flashed her hand up and waggled her finger with the gaudy plastic ring that was Jimmy's proposal ring.

Davis' laughter immediately disappeared. He stared at the hideous plastic _thing_ that Chloe flashed before him.

His heart dropped into his shoes. _He knew she had a boyfriend, but a fiancé? Oh, no..._

He stood there a second with his mouth open in disbelief and horror.

Chloe looked at Davis' shocked expression and oddly felt her own smile fade. _Damn, why had she done that?_

_Maybe just because she wanted to tell someone, and she had been feeling so comfortable this last minute with Davis, and earlier she had felt so...warm. Maybe because she knew this would push him to a more proper mindset than the one that had permeated the office in one way or another since he had first walked in._

And maybe, she just wanted to remind HERSELF that she wasn't available...Not even for increasingly sexy EMT's.

Looking fondly at the ring she still held up, she did decide to reveal at least one truth about it.

"You're the first person I've told about that."

He was rather proud of himself for recovering so quickly after the sucker-punch of her engagement.

He rushed on quickly with a response, "Well, um, congratulations." Looking at the huge, bright plastic ring - _How had he missed THAT?_ - he continued, "That's...a very unique engagement ring."

Looking at the ring herself now, her voice turned introspective.

"Uh, well, you know, it's the story behind the ring that really makes it special."

"Hmmm?" He couldn't help but be curious. _What would it take to win the heart of this woman with a plastic ring?_

"I went away for a little while, and he never gave upon me," she said simply.

_Smart man._

Feeling slightly moved himself and in a strange sort of agreement with her lucky fiancé for his wisdom in standing by Chloe, he admitted, "Well, Chloe, I grew up hearing a lot of four-letter words, and "love" wasn't exactly one of them."

He searched her eyes to see if he could confirm what he said, "If you found it, real love, hold on to it." Her eyes dropped and she chewed her lips slightly.

_Hmmm, not sure what to make of that._

But deciding not to push, he wanted to lighten the mood a bit.

"And if anyone tells you that's a cliché, I'll personally kick their ass." He finished with a smile, which she slowly returned as she sensed his humor flowing from the final words.

And here they were again, smiling at each other in easy companionship.

He knew this was his cue to leave.

Leaning forward in an odd sort of bow with his hands in his pockets, he said, "Goodnight, Chloe."

"Goodnight, Davis."

He turned for the door, and the lingering warmth from her smile kept his in place until he reached his car.

Even when the smile and the warmth finally melted away, it became sorrow more than anything else. He couldn't be jealous of a man that was smart enough to know what a treasure Chloe was and had held on to her. With every single fiber of his soul he wished her nothing but all of the joy in the world.

The sorrow was because he wasn't the one that could bring it to her.

**I just LOVE this scene. It goes through so much emotion in so little time and the chemistry was just fantastic.**


	7. Chapter 7

Davis got into his car and leaned his head against the steering wheel. He was parked about a block down from the Isis building. He could see the lights were still on when he got into the car, but from this angle, he couldn't see Chloe inside. So he didn't try. He just took deep breaths with his arms pillowing his head on the wheel.

His mind skittered from one thought to the next, but the ones that repeated the most were simple.

_There is something between us._

But she isn't for you.

His easy manner over his somewhat guarded past could be very appealing to women. He knew they also really liked the uniform. Finding women that were interested in him was easy. Finding ones that _he_ wanted, was the hard part. The very few that he had let a little close had all quickly run for the hills when his condition acted up.

Turns out women didn't like a boyfriend that disappears in the middle of the night with no memory of where he had been. He would wake up in the oddest places and have no idea idea how he got there.

His current rule with women was _No Sleepovers._

That kind of limited the depth of a relationship.

But he wanted Chloe. Even though they had just met, he wanted her with a strength that he could hardly understand.

He wanted to get to know her better. He wanted to see her flash that gorgeous smile again. He wanted her to tease him again. He wanted to see her breath catch when he was close to her again.

Then he wanted to get closer.

Heat flooded his body, causing a growl to be torn from his throat. The erection that he had had for most of the last hour had finally started to subside as he sat in the car. Now it came springing back to life.

He should head home and get a cold shower and maybe workout for a bit. Maybe if he tired out his body, his mind would follow suit.

****************************************

**************************************

Davis stood shivering under the coldest water he could get from the tap in his shower. He had both palms flat against the wall and let the freezing water pour over his head, over his shoulders, and down his back.

Just when his body would begin to calm down, he would think of some element of _her_ and his body would flush all over again.

_Her smile. Her scent. Her legs as she stretched to reach the light._

He groaned again and finally shut off the water.

********************************************************************************

Davis placed the weights back in the stack and wiped an arm across his sweaty forehead.

He'd been lifting for the last hour using the home gym. He had set it up next to the window in what would normally be considered a dining room. He liked being next to the window while he worked out. He got the light and air that were lacking in most gyms. And besides, he never had guests over for "dining" so why not use the space for something useful?

When he did have people over, it was just usually a few guys for a beer and football. Or sometimes a woman. But that had been a very long time now. Either way, a dining table would have been unused.

Looking at the clock he decided it wasn't late enough to try for sleep. And he was still on edge.

He decided to head back into work. He had completely cut out on his paperwork today. He had taken his lunch break to meet up with Anne and then headed right over to Isis after his last drop-off.

He had originally planned to go in early and take care of it, but he could just do it now.

He jumped back in the shower - again. He made a face as he thought of the astronomical water bill he would surely be facing. But it would be worth it to get to know Chloe better.

Stepping out, he grabbed 2 dry towels off the shelf next to the shower. The ones he used before were still wet.

Wrapping one around his waist he used the other to do his hair. Opening the bathroom door, he crossed the hallway to bedroom.

He pulled a pair of black boxer-briefs, jeans, a grey t-shirt and a blue hoodie out and threw them across the bed.

He also grabbed a empty red duffel and filled it with a clean uniform. He'd drop the uniform and bag off at his locker for tomorrow.

His mind finally started to clear with a real task ahead and he got dressed.


	8. Chapter 8

Davis entered the hospital and walked behind the check in counter to grab the clipboard with the drop-off paperwork from the day. He spotted Joan in one of the rooms and waved to her. She smiled and waved back.

Going through the pages on the clipboard he made his way through the hospital back towards the employee lockers. He wanted to drop the bag off first. Then he would pop into one of the open offices and go through the paperwork.

Walking down the hallways he was surprised to see a tall guy in a terrible flannel shirt holding a large bouquet of flowers. People didn't usually get lost in this area of the hospital.

Approaching the guy, he looked around to see where the guy had come from.

"You know, patients are on an entirely different floor."

"You know, I thought I got off the elevator a little early," the guy replied somewhat lamely. Then a look of recognition crossed the man's face. "Wait. You're one of the rescue workers from the bus, right?"

Looking at the guy more closely, he pictured him in a blue dress shirt instead of terrible flannel. This was Chloe's fiancé.

_Ok, Davis, time to be the good guy. Play nice._

"I thought I recognized you. For a guy without a uniform, you helped a lot of people."

As he spoke, Davis was surprised to find he meant it. The guy had actually been rather heroic now that he thought about it. _Kind of figured though. Had to be an exceptional guy that would win Chloe's heart._

The guy quickly played down the praise by replying, "Oh, I didn't do anything. I mean, you're the real hero. You help people for a living. I'm Clark Kent."

Davis was actually kind of impressed by the response. He might try not to hate this guy.

"Davis Bloome. I met your fiancé. Clark, congratulations. She's a real catch."

Clark's eye's widened hugely. In a voice filled with shock, disbelief, and more than a trace of terror Clark questioned, "I'm getting married?"

_Oh shit. This guy isn't the fiancé._

Trying desperately to recover, the words just came tripped out of him.

"Well, I thought that - 'cause I saw you and Chloe together, and you seemed pretty close. When she said she was engaged -"

Clark's eyebrows shot up again as he was floored by that news too. "Chloe's engaged?"  
_  
Shit! Shit! Shit! Just stop, Davis. Stop NOW!_

Trying to look anywhere, but at the man he was now spilling all Chloe's secrets to, Davis attempted to recover by playing on the guy code.

"Oh, man. Okay, my brain's gone completely D.O.A." Then switching to a conspiratorial tone and meeting the guy's eyes, he pleaded, "Clark, she said she hadn't told anyone yet. Do me a favor..." Davis moved around the guy and patted Clark's shoulder in a help-a-brother-out way. _(Guy code initiated.)_ "Don't tell her I said anything."

Deciding that discretion might be the better part of valor he quickly moved down the hall. Though his discretion was holding up poorly.

Behind him, Davis heard Clark mutter, "I won't reveal my source."

He actually kind of smiled at that. It was a bit fun to startle the guy now that he was done actively spilling Chloe's secrets. Maybe it was just because the first time he saw Clark Kent, he had his hands on Chloe, but something inside him like tweaking the tall man.

Putting all thoughts of Clark out of his head he continued back to the locker room.


	9. Chapter 9

It really wasn't a good day.

Chloe was driving back to Metropolis after the conclusion of the events in Smallville.

The attack by Bette, had been a shocking turn. She was glad that she had been able to talk about it with Clark. Oddly, he took the opposite viewpoint from Davis, but that was what struck a chord in her. Clark thought the meteor freaks were unlikely to want help after hiding their abilities for so long. That made her think of Davis saying they didn't have anywhere to go. That was the catch. If you did want help, there weren't any options right now. Someone needed to be there early to help them manage, so they wouldn't have to be so scared and secretive.

Her lovely green outfit was the worse for wear after almost being killed, so she changed into a new pink ensemble.

She decided to take the drive into the Isis office and see if she could come to a final conclusion by poring over some of Lana's files.

Could she really do this? Could she help the meteor infected before they became a danger to society?

A few minutes of going through the Isis files gave Chloe her answer. Her new power of processing information had made going through the hundreds of files the work of mere minutes, but most of those files told the same story. When the powers came upon the subject, most people were afraid and had nowhere to turn.

She thought of her own experience and how her fear caused her to break up with Jimmy.

That sealed her decision. She would not just be a babysitter. She was going to run Isis.

Her mind made up, Chloe thought that she should share her decision with one of the people that helped her make it.

She had saved Davis' number earlier, so hit the button for his cell. She was disappointed when it went straight to voicemail.

"Hi, Davis. It's Chloe Sullivan. I, uh, I just wanted to call and say thanks for helping out with Bette. It's too bad that that didn't, uh, work out." Her heart sank a little as she reflected on the events of earlier and how it "hadn't worked out.". "But I also wanted to let you know that I've decided to reopen the Isis Foundation, and a few things that you said helped me make that decision. So...thanks." She chuckled a bit at her own lame sounding comment. "Okay, well... stay safe out there. Take care." 

* * *

Davis woke with a scream in an alley. He was cold and wet. And naked...

The blackouts were back again, and this was a bad one.

How did this day turn so awful?


	10. Chapter 10

Several days had passed before Davis finally called Chloe back. He had listened to her message at least a dozen times, but the return of the blackouts had really freaked him out. Thankfully though he hadn't had any repeats of that frightening alley wake up. Finally he decided to check in and see how her venture running the foundation for the meteor infected was going. He had been really touched that his comments had helped sway her to restart Isis.

"Hello?"

"Hi Chloe, it's Davis Bloome."

"Davis! How are you? Did you get my message? I decided you were right. I'm restarting Isis."

"Yeah I did. Sorry it took me a while to respond. I've just been a bit...tied up." That part was truer than she would ever know. He'd started tying himself to the bed at night.

"Ah ok. You know I'm really glad you called. I could use some feedback from you."

"Oh yeah? On what?'

"Well I've been going through my friend's notes and stuff. She had a number of facilities listed that she wanted to follow up with about treating the meteor infected. But she never was able to do that. I remember you said the hospital sent out updates on different treatment facilities. Could I pick your brain on some of them?"

"Yeah, sure. I'd be glad to help." And he found he was. He had wanted to see her again every day since they had met. To do that and help people get the treatment they need? That was just a double win.

"Would you be free one day this week? We could meet at Isis or...no. Why don't we do coffee instead? You are doing me a favor, and I've been in this office too much."

He smiled.

"How about tomorrow? I'm off and there is a really nice cafe across from my apartment building. We could meet there," he said.

"Sounds good. Text me a time and address and I'll be there!"

* * *

The next afternoon, Davis sat at one of the tables inside the cafe. He was contemplating beer or coffee.

He decided on beer just as Chloe appeared in the doorway carrying a laptop case slung over her shoulder.

She was wearing a pretty pink skirt and white top with a little pink jacket. Davis thought she looked adorable.

She saw him instantly and flashed her lovely smile as she moved to his table and sat down.

"Hey Davis. Thanks so much for agreeing to meet up with me."

"No problem."

"What are you getting? I'm buying."

"No way, I'll buy."

"I insist, it means a lot to me that you are willing to help me with this."

"Ok. A beer please."

"Afternoon drinker, eh?" She lifted a brow.

"Yeah, well, it is my day off." He flashed her a lopsided smile of his own and his eyes sparkled at her mild teasing.

She waved a waitress over, and ordered a coffee thing with lots of syllables and his beer.

She reached down to her laptop case and pulled the slick machine out and opened it on the table.

She typed away for a few seconds and brought up a number of webpages of different treatment facilities around Metropolis.

_Wow, she was fast. _ He would still have been opening the browser.

"Ok, shall we get started then?" She smiled broadly at him as she turned the machine around to face him.

_I think we have already begun_, he thought and smiled back.

* * *

Two beers and six coffee somethings later, Chloe leaned back from the computer.

"Whew. That is all of them." She interlocked her fingers and lifted her arms over her head in a stretch.

His mouth went dry as her white top pulled tight across her chest. She had draped the little jacket on her chair back several hours ago.

Releasing her stretch, she turned to gaze at Davis. He swallowed quickly and dropped his gaze to his bottle again. He returned to peeling the label from his beer bottle.

Her hand reached out and covered one of his on the bottle.

Surprised he looked up into her warm eyes.

"I know I said it before, but I do appreciate your help."

He smiled back at her lopsidedly. "Yeah well, it was selfish of me actually."

She removed her hand and settled back in her chair.

He missed that hand.

She arced a brow at him. "Oh? And how is that?"

"Well if you are able to help these people control their powers better, there might not be so much need for a paramedic."

She grinned widely as she leaned forward again and crossed her arms on the table. "But I would think you wouldn't want that. You know, right now there is job security."

His face became more serious and he paused in the act of peeling the label again. "I'd be ok with there being less people needing help. But I don't think I'll ever lose job security. Too many bad people hurting others out there."

Her face also grew more serious.

He felt their time together today should be drawing to a close, but he sensed that she wanted to linger. He certainly wanted her to.

He waved a hand to indicate the cafe around him. "Have you been to this part of the city before? You never mentioned where you live."

She smiled again and looked around the cute cafe and tree-lined street. "No, though it is a really nice area. I think you said you live here, right? I have quite a commute actually. I live over in Smallville. In a little apartment above a coffee shop called The Talon."

He blinked. "Wow that is a commute! Why so far?" Then realizing that might seem nosy, he softened the subject. "That is my apartment building over there," he said pointing at a brick building across the way. "The third window on the top floor."

She turned to look where he was pointing and then back at him.

"Well to your question, I mostly grew up in Smallville. My dad and I moved there right before eighth grade. I took over the apartment because it was really cheap. Though it is small and shared with my cousin, Lois."

"Yeah, rents in the city can be pretty high. I got a great deal on my apartment because I helped save the owner's life."

She blinked at him in surprise for a second before responding, "Oh, was he one of your patients?"

"Yeah. When I got to their apartment he was having a massive heart attack. I was able to stabilize him long enough to get him to the hospital. He went into surgery as soon as we arrived. Poor guy - his name is Frank - was in there for weeks. I would stop in and visit with him once in a while. Nice guy, great family. I was talking to him one day and mentioned looking for an apartment. He insisted on me taking the open one in the building at a much lower than normal rate." He smiled in his lopsided way again. "I think he and his wife feel better knowing that there is a paramedic living a few floors above them if anything else were ever to happen."

Chloe smiled back again. "Yeah, I can see that." She laughed. "Didn't I say something like that myself?"

He lifted the bottle to his lips again, still smiling. "Oh so you plan on using my medical skills on top of everything I ever knew about treatment centers?"

She laughed again, "Hope not." She winked at him. "But good to know you anyway."

Davis agreed. He very much liked knowing Chloe.

**I thought the jump from the end of Plastique to the heroes calling in Davis to risk his job and save Oliver was really abrupt. I thought we needed more of a friendship here before Chloe would think to call him. And Davis' desire to help people and concern at Isis just made this a natural Offscreensville scene.**


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as Oliver said he was poisoned and not to take him to the hospital, Chloe immediately knew what had to be done.

"Clark! We should take him to Isis. It is close and we can keep him isolated there. I'll call Davis and see if he can help."

Clark looked like he was going to disagree, but Oliver spoke up again.

"No hospital"

Clark set his jaw and wrapped Oliver's arm over his shoulder.

"Ok, fine. We take him to Isis."

Chloe started dialing. She really hoped he wasn't on a call already. He was on shift tonight.

She chose not to admit that she had hacked into the hospital database earlier and reviewed the EMT work schedules.

"Davis Bloome."

"Davis! Thank god you picked up. Are you on a run?"

"No, I just dropped someone off. What's wrong?"

Chloe tried to control her panic.

"I know we joked about it being good to know a paramedic. But, Davis! My friend Oliver is sick and he insists we can't take him to the hospital. He is unsteady and hot to the touch. Please help. We are going to be at Isis."

"I'm on my way." She could hear the resolve in his voice and it steadied her like nothing else could have.

Clark carried Oliver through the door or Isis.

"Chloe, he's getting worse. If it's poison, we need to get him to a hospital," Clark bellowed out as he released Oliver's arm. Oliver was barely able to steady himself as he collapsed onto the lounger in the front office.

"Davis is on his way."

"He needs a doctor, Chloe."

Chloe gripped Clark's arm as pulled him aside.

"Clark, if Oliver said he wants to avoid all MDs and hospitals, I'm sure has a really good reason."

"I'm not gonna stand here and watch my friend die!"

Chloe knew it was fear for his friend that was making Clark so loud and unreasonable.

"Clark, do you think this is easy for me? I know Oliver, too. I've worked side by side with him. And when he says to do something, it's always for a reason."

"But this time it's different! His life's at stake!"

"Clark, if you were lying on that couch, I would do whatever you asked, down to the letter. I wouldn't hesitate. Now trust him." Chloe pleaded with him with her eyes, asking Clark to understand. To trust. She knew trust was a hard thing for Clark, but she knew Oliver. He had been leading their hero team for years. She knew he didn't give pointless orders. If he said no hospitals, there was a reason.

"I'm gonna check his phone, see if I can find the number of the girl he was with tonight." Clark turned away and started pressing on the phone keypad of Ollie's phone which he drew from his jacket pocket.

_Well, it isn't exactly agreement, but it looks like he isn't going to drag Ollie away against his wishes._

Just then Davis appeared in the office door, with his kit in hand. He moved directly over to Oliver and dropped the bag.

_Right into paramedic mode. Thank god._

Aloud she said, "Thank god. Davis."

"He is a lot worse than you said he was, Chloe." He swiftly began to go examine Oliver.

Oliver looked terrible. He was already much worse then when he collapsed at The Ace of Clubs.

"We think he may have been poisoned," she admitted.

Jumping in Clark demanded, "Can you help him?"

Quickly wrapping the exam, Davis answered, "Uh... his pulse is racing... and he's burning up. He's stable, so I can set him up with a heart monitor, take his blood to the lab," standing he finished, "But if things don't look better in one hour, I got to bring him in."

She knew Davis didn't like that they weren't willing to go to the ER. After all, he was an EMT. His job was to keep people alive long enough to get them to the hospital. Not to cure them where they stood.

Moving to face him, Chloe looked at Davis intently. She put as much feeling as she could into her voice. "I know you're risking your job to do this, but you can trust me."

He sighed heavily, but she knew he was going to acquiesce. She was right.

"Watch him. If anything changes, call," he told her intently. "I'll get the monitor."

With that he turned and left as most a quickly as Bart.

Closing the door behind Davis, she moved to stand before Clark.

Looking at Oliver's phone, Clark said, "His date's name is Adrianna. It showed up in the calendar."

"And she didn't call after he disappeared from the event?"

"No, and she won't pick up, either. I'm gonna go to the bar and see if she's still there."

"Let's hope for Oliver's sake that she knows something." And just like that Clark left too. Chloe sighed heavily.

Looking at the sweaty Oliver breathing erratically on the couch, she hoped between the two men that just left they could get him some help.

In the meantime, she would see what she could dig up using the Isis computers. Maybe she could track down what poisoned Ollie.

* * *

Chloe returned to the computers after getting Lois settled in looking after Oliver. She had some good leads on the type of poison.

Her ability had grown even in the short time since being in the facility. She could sort through information on the monitors before even all the pixels resolved on the screens. It made the screens appear to blur.

This was actually really cool.

She had regretted the loss of her healing ability when she had tried to save Clark in the facility after a mind-drugged Oliver shot him with an arrow. But she didn't miss the pain and the, well, _dying_ that also went along with that power.

The slight forgetfulness she sometimes had was a much better trade off for this incredible processing power.

She didn't feel burdened by this gift. She felt _powerful_.

* * *

Chloe could hear Davis and Lois out in the front office of Isis. Lois was shouting at Davis. She felt a pang of pity for the EMT. Determined Lois could be scary. She momentarily thought about going out to see if she could help, but knew she would be more useful where she was. She was trying to see if she could find a way for them to synthesize the ingredients for the serum using the research notes from the Luthercorp facility. Unfortunately it wasn't looking good. It just took too much time. And of course they would have to get to a lab to do it...

She would leave Lois to provide love and support, and Davis to provide medical care.

Her phone rang with the loud piercing ring she had reserved for Clark. She scrambled it open praying for good news from the new monarch of Luthorcorp.

"Chloe, Tess said the antidote is in a research lab in Cabo Grande, Brazil. I'm on my way, but I need you to guide me through and tell me what I am looking for."

Relieved, that there was a cure already manufactured, Chloe set her jaw and put on her Bluetooth headset.

"Ok, let's do this."

* * *

Clark had the serum.

A few seconds later, she heard his distinctive whoosh as he came through the door.

Oliver would be ok now.

She had to cover their tracks. She manipulated the Luthorcorp computers to order the creation of another batch of the antidote to cover up the loss of the one that Clark stole. It wouldn't do for Tess Mercer to find out that minutes after being told of the existence of the serum in the lab that it had gone missing. She also wiped all the security footage and keycard records of all areas where Clark had been.

Next she hacked into Queen Consolidated. She created records of the serum in one of their local labs. She gave Clark Kent authorization and entered logs of him removing the antidote.

If anyone wanted to know where the serum that saved Oliver had come from, they now had an answer.

She heard Oliver's voice. It sounded strong. He was shouting something at Clark.

This power was _definitely_ a good thing.

* * *

She walked out a few minutes later. Oliver was sitting up and drinking thirstily from a large glass of water as Lois hovered over him. Davis stood in the background holding an empty syringe.

Oliver was looking stronger by the minute.

Finishing the large glass, he handed it back to Lois. Lois accepted the glass and promptly slapped Oliver. _Hard._

Chloe winced for Oliver.

"How dare you go and get yourself poisoned and scare the help out of me! I mean...us. US!" Lois screamed at him. She turned around, picked up her jacket, and slammed out the door.

Chloe wondered when Lois would realize that was still holding Oliver's water glass.

Davis was still standing behind Oliver looking dumbfounded. He looked over at the door Lois had recently slammed, to Oliver, then to the door again.

Chloe smiled. It was a lot to take in.

Oliver rubbed his cheek. "Ow..." he complained. Then he glanced up as he saw Chloe in the doorway from the back office.

Oliver saw her smile directed over him and turned and looked behind him to where Davis stood.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Oliver!" Chloe cried stepping forward. "This is Davis. He is a paramedic friend of mine. Oh, and he helped _SAVE YOUR LIFE_."

Oliver had the sense to wince. Though she did hear him mumble, "I almost died. You'd think everyone would stop yelling at me."

Turning around, Oliver stood up and offered his hand to Davis. "Hey, Oliver Queen. It seems I owe you a debt. If you ever need anything. Contact me." He glanced over at Chloe as if to check that she saw him playing nice. Looking back at Davis, he continued, "But even if it weren't for that, any friend of Chloe, is a friend of mine." He flashed his most charming smile at Davis.

Davis still seemed off kilter, but accepted the other man's hand. "Davis Bloome. Nice to meet you. Glad you made it."

Releasing Oliver's hand, he bent down to retrieve his kit. He put the syringe into a sharps case and threw the bag over his shoulder.

"It has been a crazy night, and I'm sure you and your friends have a lot to discuss." Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a business card and handed it to Oliver. "If you have any more symptoms, please contact me." Finally he seemed to be back on solid footing. Back to being "on the job." He smiled at the other man. "I'd hate to think we worked so hard to save your life for nothing."

He looked across at Chloe and smiled.

"Chloe," he said simply before darting for the exit.

Chloe moved to follow after him, but Oliver caught her arm. He looked down at her intently.

"Chloe, how? How did you all save me?"

Chloe looked out the door at Davis' fast retreating back, but he was already gone.

She sighed heavily and moved to sit down on the lounger. Oliver sat next to her.

"Well, after you collapsed, I called Davis to come look at you..."


	12. Chapter 12

Chloe walked into the Isis office the next morning. She was idly sorting through the mail as she walked through the door.

She heard a door close and she saw a figure move behind the frosted glass towards the back room. The _very _back room.

Moving into the doorway warily, she spied a broad back looking at all the monitors. He was dressed casually today. Brown jacket, jeans, and another black t-shirt. He had a fondness for black tees, she noted idly. She already knew that he had off today.

Her research on the poison flower was still posted on all the monitors. Notes, documents, books, and printouts covered the entirety of every flat surface in her office. It must have looked like the laboratory of a mad horticulturist.

As if he sensed her presence, Davis turned to face her.

Her instant fear of what he must think of her overwhelming mental powers caused her to snap sharply at the sexy EMT.

"I thought I closed those." She marched forward through the should-have-been-closed pocket doors and into the backroom briskly. She started turning off monitors.

"I'm sorry. They were open," he said without a trace of contrition. Just a sort of surprise at her distress.

"What are you doing here?" she asked to cover her upset.

He wandered out of the back computer room and into her office. She took the opportunity to hit the desk monitor and grabbed the main remote to turn off the wall screens.

"Uh, well, I was checking in on Oliver. It was a hell of a close call last night. He's got a pretty great crew of friends."

_Ha! Yeah, he does. Even if you got to see a lot of their bad sides last night._

"Yeah. Renegade paramedic included," she said with a nervous chuckle. She hoped the comment would distract him, but when she turned around she saw he was still in danger territory. He was now eying over the disaster of information overload on her desk.

He started pacing the desk, perusing the collection of paper littering the surface.

She frantically followed behind him, trying to collect the incriminating evidence of her excessive researching and analysis skills.

"You must have done pretty well on your S.A.T.s. I thought you said you studied journalism," he commented as he selected one sheet of paper that somehow struck him as more interesting than the others.

She frantically continued to grab up papers. She wasn't exactly sure why she didn't want him to see everything. Maybe she just didn't want him to see her as a freak.

"Well, yeah, journalism, and then there were the core classes and some, you know, electives and stuff." She knew it sounded lame, but she had no idea what else to say.

She looked up when she realized he had stopped passing around the desk. He was peering closely at one page.

"Level with me, Chloe. Are you some kind of genius?" She snatched the page back as he continued without breaking.  
"I'm embarrassing you," he said completely deadpan as he turned to look at her. She knew her anxiety was written all over her face.

Would he call her freak now? She didn't think so considering how open minded he had been about everything so far. He had taken everything from a homeless teen, to a meteor freak counseling center, to a poisoned friend perfectly in stride.

But she knew that meteor freaks in abstract were one thing. Knowing your own friend was one is another thing all together.

Her fear caused her to snap defensively, "There's a reason I like to try and keep the doors closed."

Without preamble, but with great conviction, he answered, "You know, there's nothing wrong with being smart."

He smiled like it was just the most obvious and natural thing in the world. She instantly knew that he must not comprehend just how smart she really was now. There was no way he would have accepted it so easily otherwise. Clark had made it plain that he found her new Brainiac inspired intelligence to be frightening.

So she simply looked at him with a doubtful smile and clarified. "When the seating chart at your wedding looks more like a Euclidean algorithm than a dining hall, you know you've got something seriously wrong." She marched away with cluster of papers in hand and shoved them into a random filling cabinet drawer. She shut the drawer with a satisfying slam.

Why did she say there was something wrong? Hadn't she already decided she loved her new ability? A rush of pleasure filled her. Yes she did. There was nothing wrong with her.

Not being privy to her internal conversation, Davis followed her spoken one. But not in the direction she would have expected.

He looked down as if he really didn't want to ask what he felt he should.

"And the guy next to you on that seating chart, what does he think about all this?"

Thinking of Jimmy and how she was once again keeping him the dark about her powers, she couldn't meet Davis' eyes. She hated lying to Jimmy even if it was by omission, but she couldn't put him through more meteor/alien drama. Jimmy knew about her healing power, but this was different. He might side with Clark and think she needed fixing. She couldn't have that. It was better he still thought her power was just healing.

Davis had been carefully watching her face and must have read the answer there. She wasn't sure if he was perceptive, or if she had been that easy to read. He had seemed oblivious to her earlier distress, so she wasn't sure. Though it was possible he was teasing her earlier. But now he knew her thoughts. He paced forward like a hound on a scent.

"He doesn't know," Davis said with a tone that was equal parts surety and disbelief.

Feeling the need to justify herself in the face of such blunt truth, Chloe responded to his direct look. She knew her own expression begged him to understand.

"Well, it's all sort of just happening," hearing the slightly whiny note in her voice, she firmed her tone. "Which is why I would really prefer it if we could keep it between us." She finished strongly by looking into Davis' eyes and adding a bit of force to her look. She wanted to make sure he also didn't think she was in need of fixing.

He smiled warmly and his eyes filled with understanding and his own unique humor.

"Look, Chloe, I think that, in some weird way, we all have some part of us that we hold underneath the surface."

Wow. That was pretty profound and so artlessly simple. He really is that open minded, isn't he?

Continuing over her mental commentary, he good-naturedly finished, "Even I do."

His warm smile and the light in his eyes spoke of understanding and kinship.

How was it that this man that she knew so little, knew her so much?

She snorted a little at the humor of his comment and her own thoughts. She smiled back at him.

Suddenly, his face fell. Moving around her, Davis made his way toward the door.

"Well, since I haven't gotten any more frantic calls, I assume Oliver is doing OK. So I should really get going."

Chloe turned to watch him go. She was a bit surprised at his sudden decision to leave when he had seemed so intent on exploring her office and teasing her. She wondered what he had thought of that caused him to flee.

She suddenly realized that was the second time he had been in the office in as many days and gotten barked at for his troubles by just about everyone. Now including her, it seemed.

He was owed a serious _Thank You_. Not being snapped at.

She would have to do something really nice to show she really was grateful after all this.

She would have to think on it a bit.

* * *

**Author's comment: Ever notice how rarely our heroes say "thank you?" I think that Chloe would be better than that offscreen. So just a hint for the next chapter. ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

Davis knew that Chloe was surprised and maybe a little bothered by his abrupt departure. But the comment he had tossed out to help relieve her anxiety had the opposite effect on him.

"We all have some part of us that we hold underneath the surface. Even I do."

Never were words ever so true.

And those words started to bring that buried part of him to the surface. He felt the sort of dimming of mind that warned of an oncoming blackout. If he could focus his mind again, he might be able to push it back. He had to get somewhere quiet where he could focus. Where he could _fight_.

He raced out of Isis and over to his car. He again found himself with his head pillowed on his arms over his steering wheel. But this time instead of focusing to control his body, he was trying to control his mind.

Her didn't always have warning when the blackouts were coming, but he had learned a few tricks that helped him manage when they did. He purposely slowed his breathing and focused the fuzzy edges of his mind on a single thought or image. It shouldn't be a surprise that since he just left her, that the image he was best able to focus upon right now was Chloe.

He let the thought of her solidify in his mind. At first it was difficult. It had been precious minutes since the blackness had first started creeping in. He had to fight it back inch by mental inch. He started small - just picturing her face. Then her smile. That did it. The blackness started to flee.

_Now that was new. _

It was almost as though the light of her smile and the warmth of her eyes melted the darkness. Never had he pushed it back so easily before. In no time at all his mind was clear again.

He looked at the clock. He had only been in the car about fifteen minutes. He stared at the time dumbfounded. It was usually the work of hours to pull his mind together again after taking so long to start after the onset. He looked up at the windows to Isis. What was it between them that gave her such power?

* * *

**Author's note: Sorry this is so short, but it really was complete in itself.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chloe parked outside of Davis' apartment building. She walked around to the passenger side of the car to retrieve her thank you gifts for Davis. Two dozen fresh made chocolate chip cookies and a six pack of microbrew beer. The cookies were pretty much the only thing she could make. And since he was a guy she figured that beer was a safe bet. Holding the plastic bin of cookies she balanced the beer on top to shut and lock the door. Facing the building she almost dropped both offerings.

Davis was clearly visible in the top story window. He was working out on the weight set framed by the large open glass pane. Even from the distance of the cafe where they had met, he was perfectly clear. And perfectly shirtless. And perfectly glistening with sweat over tight, hard muscle.

Chloe felt her mouth go dry. She had seen shirtless men before. Both Clark and Oliver were very impressive bare chested. And Jimmy was nice too, though not cut like the other two. Make that three. So why was she so struck by this now? Maybe it was the voyeurism of it, but she couldn't drag her eyes away.

She just stood next to her car holding the cookies and beer. She watched the play of muscles as he lifted the bar over his head. Eventually, he finished the set and sat up at the end of the bench. He played a bit of air drums. He appeared to be singing along with whatever music was playing on the iPod he wore clipped to his glistening left arm. She smiled widely at the unexpected guy moment.

Finally he stood and started putting the weights away and resetting the stacks. Chloe snapped out of her trance and ran across the street and into the apartment lobby. Looking at the resident list, she rang the buzzer for his apartment. A few seconds later she heard his voice over the intercom.

"Hello?"

"Hi Davis. It's Chloe Sullivan. I wanted to say sorry and also a belated thank you. So...I actually come bearing gifts. Can I... Um... Come up?"

"Chloe? Uh, yeah, sure."

The buzzer sounded, unlocking the lobby door to the stairway and she made her way up to his apartment.

She knocked on his apartment door, juggling the beer and cookies.

He opened the door a second later, wiping of his face with a workout towel before throwing it over his shoulder.

"Uh hey. Come on in. What is all this?" he asked, taking the beer and cookies.

"Those are actually thank you gifts for helping Oliver. I realized that none of us really actually said that. I mean Ollie did sort of, but only after yelling at you. Yeah...and then I yelled at you when you stopped in, so I'm also sorry. So I baked those for you and that is a really excellent IPA. I hope you like them."

On dear God, she was completely rambling. Why didn't he have a shirt on yet? He had stopped exercising a full 2 minutes ago. She was having a very hard time concentrating with all that glossy muscle so close. She could also smell the maleness of him. He should smell like exercise stink, but he didn't. He smelled like sweat, and male, and something else she couldn't identify but rather liked.

He was looking at her strangely. She suddenly realized she had just been standing in the threshold staring at him and rambling.

She cleared her throat and stepped in through the door. He shifted back to let her through and closed the door behind. Now that he was out of her eyeline, she looked around the apartment curiously. All of the furniture was made of simple lines and dark colors. It was all done in surprisingly good taste. And almost more surprising in a single guy living alone, everything was scrupulously clean. Not even a glass on the coffee table. _And oh my god, he has coasters?!_

She spun to look at him with an eyebrow raised.

He looked around as if trying to see what she saw.

"What?"

She shrugged. "Just not what I expected. Everything is so neat."

He laughed.

"Yeah well growing up in foster care means you have very little control in your life. When I finally had the chance to make my own home, I found that I liked having order."

"Ah yes, that makes sense."

She walked over to the dark couch and sat down sideways to keep him in view.

"Yeah, so like I was saying. We really are very grateful for what you did with Oliver. I know you risked a lot for us. But he would have died without your help."

He walked over to the kitchen area and placed the gifts down on the counter. Pulling out a bottle opener from one of the drawers, he spun to pluck two of the beers from the pack. He carried them over to the couch and sat down on the other end from her. She shifted to face him again. Holding both bottles in one hand, he deftly popped the caps off and handed her one of the bottles. Tilting his bottle up at her, she smiled and clinked her bottle to his and they both took a sip.

He looked at the bottle in appreciation. "Wow, that is good. And well timed. Just finished my workout and was dying for a beer to cool off."

She smiled, "Not water?"

He grinned broadly, "Beer is better."

She laughed as he took another long pull from the bottle.

Sobering, she said, "Yeah...so sorry to have snapped at you when you stopped by before. I just really didn't expect anyone there and then you were in the area that I usually keep closed. It just startled me and I handled it poorly. Especially after all the help you have been with Isis and then with Ollie."

He smiled wryly, "Yeah, well maybe I should have left when I saw no one was there, but I figured you would be in soon. I don't always think before I speak...or act. I am sorry to have scared you, though I stand by what I said about being proud of your ability."

He took another pull of beer and she did the same, though he was definitely outpacing her.

"Oh, I actually wanted to touch base with you again anyway, " he said.

"Yeah? So will I have another early morning scare?" She smiled teasingly, causing him to laugh.

"I was actually going to phone ahead this time. But another clinic opened up outside Metropolis that I thought might be a good contact for you."

"Oh, awesome. What's the story?"

"I have all the info in my room and we can go over it now if you like." Standing up, he sniffed himself. "Though I think I need a shower first. Would you mind? I won't be long."

"No that is fine. I can just watch some TV while you shower."

"Ok, cool." He walked over to the kitchen, and pulled another beer and flashed a smile. "One for the road."

She laughed again. "Wow, and here I thought the cookies would be the big hit."

He smiled broadly as he popped the cap from the new beer. "Oh, they will be. But those are for work. I will use them to barter favors." His smile turned wicked.

He started drinking the second beer as he walked into what she assumed must be the bathroom and closed the door. A second later she heard a shower run.

She started looking over the collection of remote controls to see which one would turn on the typical size-of-a-small-continent guy TV. She realized that she had never heard the sound of the bottle being put down. Had he taken the bottle into the shower with him?

The mental picture that snapped into her head was as sudden as it was hot. All that naked skin and muscle with water pouring down as he tilted his head back to take a drink...it was exceedingly erotic. She knew her mouth dropped open and felt her breathing quicken as she mentally replayed the flexing of his chest and arms as they would appear with cascades of water. Would it run down his back or front? She pictured both scenarios, and couldn't decide which she liked better.

_Down girl! Seriously get a grip! Think of Jimmy!_

She realized a second later that thinking of her fiancé really shouldn't work to tame lust, but she quickly pushed that thought aside.

She had just finished trying to calm her thoughts when she heard the water shut off. Soon the door opened from the bathroom and a squeaky clean Davis stepped out. And for the third - or was it fourth? - time that day Chloe felt her mouth go dry and her breath hitch as she gawked at Davis. He looked just like her fantasy of a second ago. Well except for the cascades of water. He was still wet and droplets glistened on his skin. His wet hair dripped down onto his broad shoulders. A drop fell from his hair and trickled down the strong column of his neck as he tilted his head back to drain the beer. She couldn't pull her eyes away from the trail of that drop.

So he actually had taken the beer into the shower.

As he finished the beer, her eyes followed the motion of his hand as it fell to his side. He had a dark blue towel wrapped low on his hips. She could see those fascinating little dips in his hips that would trail down to his groin. She had a desperate desire to bite the top of those dips and then trace her tongue down. She heard her breath start coming fast again. He ducked back into the bathroom and she heard a cabinet open and close. He came out with a second smaller towel that he began using to dry his hair.

"That is much better" he stated with a satisfied voice.

"Huh?" she replied wittily.

"Being clean. I feel half human again. Let me just throw on some clothes and I'll be right out." As he walked away he called out, "Couldn't figure out the TV setup, Smarty?"

"Uh no. Though I think I might have erased every episode of Battlestar Galactica from your DVR."

"Don't even joke about that!"

She laughed. The spell was broken. She knew that her super brain could have gotten the TV going, but she had gotten lost in her last fantasies. However she certainly couldn't tell him that! Better to be thought lame.

He walked out a second later in dark plaid lounger pants and a fitted navy tee. He was carrying a large glossy booklet.

She didn't know why she had had felt so OK with him being half naked, then fully naked and wet, and almost naked and wet. But for some reason seeing him so relaxed for the evening finally set off those long silent warning bells. It was suddenly too comfortable. Ogling went nowhere, but she could suddenly see snuggling up on the couch together. It was too intimate. That is what she did with Jimmy.

"Is that the brochure? Do you mind if I just take it with me? I should really be heading home. I just wanted to drop off your presents."

He looked kind of crestfallen, but nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, no problem. You can just keep it. They gave us a bunch of copies. I don't have any specific feedback on them yet since they are new, but I'll keep my ear to the ground."

She accepted the brochure he extended to her and smiled.

"Thanks again, Davis. Enjoy the cookies and beer."

He tucked his hands in his lounger pants pockets and trailed behind her to the door.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks for stopping by. You didn't have to, but it was... Nice."

Turning in the now open doorway, Chloe glanced over her shoulder.

"Good night."

"Night."

He shut the door with a sound that seemed somehow sad.

* * *

**Author's Note: I put an easter egg reference in this story and one twist on words. See if you can find them. :) I'll reveal in the next chapter note.**


	15. Chapter 15

Davis gently closed the door behind Chloe. He briefly leaned against the door trying to calm himself.

He wondered if she had any idea just how much she affected him. Nothing could have shocked him more than her appearing on his doorstep - with gifts! Against his initial decision, he walked over to the kitchen area and popped the top off the cookies. He selected one and started munching. They were quite good. Heavy on the chips. He liked that.

It was strange, the odd combination of relaxed and electrified he felt around her. It was like every cell in his body was awake and in tune with hers. He knew she felt it too. He had heard her fast breath and saw her dialated eyes. He knew she was attracted to him, though he wasn't sure how much. It took everything he had to continue to play friend and gentleman. From the bits Chloe had mentioned, he wasn't sure what to think of her fiance. The guy didn't seem like a match for her. But he had to believe that she and her fiance were meant to be. A true, deep love between them was the only reason he could accept for why he, Davis, couldn't be with her.

He didn't get involved with women that were married, engaged, or had boyfriends. It just wasn't _right._ He had meant what he said to Chloe that first night in Isis. Real love was rare and precious. He would never have anything to do with corrupting it. And he couldn't believe that Chloe would settle for less than real love. A woman like her would have her choice of suitors. So the one she chose had to be everything she was.

But God! It had been great having her here. He liked seeing her in his space. He glanced over at the couch. Her beer was still sitting on the coffee table. She had thoughtfully used one of the coasters. Such a small consideration, but it was something she would do. He snapped the cookies closed again and finishing the last bite walked over to the couch and sat down where she had been. He picked up the beer and looked at the level. There was some left. He also saw the outline of her lipstick imprint. Her lips had been there. He moved the bottle to his mouth and overlayed his lips onto the print gently. He finished the slowly warming liquid.

He figured this was a close to a kiss as they were ever likely to get.

* * *

**Author's Note: First thing, the reference from the previous story were about Sam Witwer's other work. He had a roll on Battlestar Gallactica and is now on Being Human. Both great shows.**

**Now, you have some options. I wrote 2 smut scenes following this chapter, but wanted to keep this story T rated overall. I posted them as M rated companion story "Interludes" here on FF. I'll be doing that for all the smut in this storyline. I also have them as NC-17 Interlude chapters on my livejournal site. My livejournal site is on my profile.  
**

**So you can shift for some smut, or just stay with this storyline if you want to keep it clean. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chloe knew she should feel jealous about Jimmy kissing another woman, but she didn't. Maxima had something like super mojo, but as his bride-to-be she knew she should be less OK with it. It was strange,but whenever her mind started to worry at it, a peace would come over her. It made her completely lose her train of thought. It was odd. But since she had no desire to be anxious and jealous, she just let it go. Besides, she had to wrap up planning for the engagement party.

She sat down out the coffee table and pulled out a stack of invites to the engagement party. She needed to address and send out several dozen. The first invite she addressed was to Clark Kent. It was funny that once upon a time she had written a letter to Clark pouring out her heart. Now she was sending him an invite to her engagement party. That broken-hearted 15-year-old would never have guessed how much their relationship would change. She smiled ruefully. That 15-year-old also would never have guessed how much that letter would cause such a stink between her and her fiance either. But she was glad for how things played out. Because now she felt that the air was clear between Clark and Jimmy. Jimmy could finally let go of the nagging jealousy that had been eating at him since the beginning of their relationship. From here out it would be her and Jimmy together facing the world.

Chloe paused her pen on the envelope she had been addressing. She hadn't been consciously thinking about what she was doing. But looking down at the envelope's creamy surface she saw the name she had written without thought.

_Davis Bloome_

She had even started writing his address. It wasn't the next address on the list. She hadn't realized that she had filed away his address in her mind. She frowned slightly at the envelope. Davis. She wasn't sure what to think_ or feel _about him. In some ways he sent her mind spinning. In others, she never felt so clear-headed as she was around him. Details seemed clearer, more in-focus around him. She didn't feel the slips of memory loss around him.

She shook her head. Davis was her _friend_. It was completely right to ask a friend to attend her engagement party.

She finished writing out his address and moved onto Lois' invite.

* * *

Davis opened the mailbox in his apartment lobby. As expected it was mostly junk. But a large creamy envelope caught his attention. The heavy stationery had been addressed to him in a feminine hand. He looked at the sender's information and saw the names Chloe Sullivan and James Olsen.

_James Olsen._

That must be her fiance.

Davis felt is heart drop into the ground below his feet. He turned the envelope over and carefully opened it. Inside was a cheerful announcement card for her engagement party at a place in Smallville. He passed the envelope to his left hand with the other mail. The envelope had _his_ name written in her hand. That was something to treasure. But a celebration for the day he would lose her? That he couldn't abide. He crushed the invitation in his hand and tossed it into the lobby trash.

Davis resolved he would swap or take on as many shifts as he had to just to make sure he would be working that night.

* * *

**Author's Note: I think Chloe was way too ok with Jimmy and Maxima. I also think her memory loss wasn't a sudden thing if she set up a whole system to work around it. So I just figured those two things must go together.**

**If you have gone this far, you must like my story so how about showing me a little love? :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Davis got back into the cab of his ambulance. He was completely exhausted, but he still had four hours to go.

Tonight was Chloe's engagement party. And true to his inner promise, he was working. In fact, he was working a triple. If he wasn't so exhausted he might of regretted it, but his mind was numb. Just like he wanted it.

Hi mind roused just enough to wonder briefly how Chloe's night was going. Was it everything she dreamed? Did the guy next to her know how lucky he was?

* * *

Chloe awoke abruptly to Jimmy's voice. She was cold, wet, and in the dark. She was tied up to Jimmy and she heard rats squeaking in the darkness. _What is going on?_ Last she remembered, she and Jimmy were walking back to their cars after the party. They were blinded by headlights...a sharp pain...and now she was here.

An eerie voice spoke from the darkness.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to find out if these two were truly meant to be. "

Yellowish lights came on to illuminate a scene out of a horror movie. A man and a woman in electric chairs - dead.

* * *

The wacko wrestled both her and Jimmy into the chairs after removing the corpses of the previous occupants.

As the nutjob in the plastic mask explained his setup and the "rules" of his twisted game, Chloe's eyes searched for a way out. Her mind was racing through scenarios for escape, but most were impossible. She just didn't have the physical strength to pull them off. She began to wish she had the sort of power that Clark did. He would be out of this in seconds.

Clark! Would he be able to save them?

No, he didn't even know they were missing.

Going on with his twisted reasoning, the crazy man grasped her chained hand, "Those that are truly dedicated have no secrets."

Chloe jerked her hand away, but not before a frisson of fear ran up her spine. She knew her fear showed in her eyes. She had secrets. She had lots of secrets. And many of them - most- Jimmy didn't and couldn't know. They weren't her secrets to share. Well, some were. But she couldn't share those either. Her uselessly racing mind was one. The disappointment she had felt at a missing invitee to the party was another.

Moving to one of the machines the masked man looked at Jimmy and said, "Let's warm up with an easy question. James..." The man clicked the button on the remote he was holding. She heard an electrical charge. "Have you ever cheated on your fiancée before?"

Her eyes met Jimmy's. Jimmy looked to the man. "No."

_Pain!_

Electricity coursed through her body. She screamed.

Deep in the dark places of her mind, Chloe felt something stir. A dark power spread through her. It rushed through every cell in her body, using the surge of the electricity.

After what felt like an eternity, the electricity, the pain, and_ the Power _stopped.

Chloe sat panting as the man and Jimmy yelled at each other.

Standing up but still chained, Jimmy shouted, "Stop! Don't hurt her! I'm the one that lied! You hurt me!"

"Lies don't hurt you! Lies hurt the ones you love!" The man pushed Jimmy back into the chair, "You be honest."

Chloe kept panting, trying to assess her new physical state. She felt strange. She had a new awareness of her body. She could actually feel her heart beating and her lungs filling and emptying. She felt the pulsing of blood in her arteries. She knew that it was possible to train your mind to control the functions of the body. It was called Biofeedback. But _she_ had never done it before. Could she now? Had the electricity jump started her Brainiac power into a new pathway? Could she use her mind to control her body? And if yes - _How could she use this to escape?_

All of this flashed through her mind as Jimmy started speaking to her.

"Chloe... Look, it wasn't really cheating. I mean, this - this crazy woman - she kissed me, and I had a freakin' heart attack, and I wound up in the hospital."

She should pay attention now. "I know. I know it wasn't your fault."

She silently begged Jimmy not do anything stupid while she tried to figure out if this new trick could help her get them out of here.

"You are the only girl... that I've ever loved," he finished sincerely.

She held his eyes and silently begged him to hold it together.

The masked man was turning a crank to recharge the electricity and broke into their now-silent exchange. "That will do for now. Let's see what the bride has to say. I wonder. How many lies is she hiding behind?"

Chloe's mind raced through all her secrets. Including the newest one. That was it! He was using a heart monitor to determine their truths. She would control her heartrate to give him the answers he needed. Then when an opening presented itself, she would find a way to get free.

The masked man looked up. She wasn't sure what alerted him, but he moved away from his equipment. He pulled 2 blindfolds and gags from a pocket. He quickly bound Jimmy's mouth and eyes. He moved towards her and did the same.

"I will return shortly you two. Think on your truths and lies until I return. So far it hasn't gone as well as I would have hoped."

She heard him climb some stairs and a door shut above.

Chloe took advantage of this precious time to work on controlling her heartrate and breathing. She needed to be able to control the monitors if they had any hope of getting that much-needed chance. She had to buy them time. Time for them to escape or for Clark to come.

* * *

In what felt both like forever and no time at all, Chloe heard a door open and close. Again there were footsteps coming down the stairs. The masked man had returned. He removed their gags and blindfolds and began resetting his equipment.

Jimmy began talking to the wacko again. She silently thanked whatever had distracted the man for buying her more time. She thought she had the hang of it now. She told her heart to beat faster and it did. She told it to slow and it did, though not as quickly. She used the precious few seconds to keep training her heart to slow.

The man was speaking with Jimmy again. When the man admitted, "I could smell him on her..." Chloe knew what had happened.

"So you killed her."

He confirmed her fears. "You see, the heart and the mouth are not always on the same page."

The killer began adjusting the straps and wires around her.

Jimmy bravely tried to help her. "Get the hell away from her," he cried.

But the man wasn't paying him any attention. "Chloe..." he started as she heard the electricity charge. "Have you ever cheated on your fiancé?"

That one was easy. She didn't even have to tweak her heartrate. She wasn't a cheater. While she may have had fantasies, she had never, and would never, cheat.

"No," she ground out. She was insulted that this twisted killer would dare ask her that. Chloe Sullivan did not _cheat_.

As the seconds ticked by and the man stared at the heart readings, she wondered if she should have pushed her heartrate lower. Would he think that fantasies _were _cheating? Worry began to steal over her. After an eternity, the masked man answered her unspoken question.

"Excellent. Next question." He turned to face her. "Are you in love with anyone else?"

Before she could answer, Jimmy jumped in. "Look, don't answer him, Chloe. Don't give him the satisfaction."

The man turned to face Jimmy and pushed the remote, shooting electricity through Jimmy. Jimmy cried out in pain. His screams tore at Chloe's heart and she heard "Nooooooo!" ripped from her throat without thought.

Finally the shocks stopped and Jimmy collapsed into the chair, fighting back tears of pain. The man moved back to the battery and began cranking it again.

"Your fiancé is not the best person to be taking advice from at this moment," he told her as he worked. He moved back to face her and restarted the elecricity charging from the remote. "Now I'm gonna ask you one more time. Are you in love with anyone else?"

She looked across at Jimmy's heartbroken and defeated expression. She knew what he thought. He thought that despite everything, despite what she told him after the letter, that she was still in love with Clark. She wasn't in love with Clark. She hadn't been for a very long time. Why couldn't he see that? She had though he finally understood. _Why couldn't he understand? _

It wasn't Clark she loved.

Her traitorous thoughts went to a brown-eyed man that had been haunting her dreams.

She used her new control to tame her heartbeat and clear her mind. She met Jimmy's blue eyes -not brown- and told him in a voice that begged him to finally believe her. Did she love anyone else?

"No."

The lines didn't move at all. She had done it. She had power over her own heartbeat. She just wished she had such power over her heart.

Following up on her advantage, she decided to end Jimmy's jealousy once and for all. "Only you, Jimmy, forever."

He gave a tearful laugh and smiled into her eyes.

Before she had a chance to do anything else, the man picked up a gun and announced, "Congratulations, James Olsen, Chloe Sullivan. I now pronounce you husband and wife."

He shot them.

* * *

Chloe woke up back in the Talon apartment. Jimmy was next to her. She shook his shoulder and he also woke.

They were alive.

Looking around she spotted a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs. Picking them up, she said, "Is this that masked man's idea of some kind of a twisted joke?"

Sheepishly, Jimmy said, "Um, I'm gonna have to take the credit for this one. And for the record, it was a lot less creepy yesterday."

She looked at him in surprise. Maybe her erotic efforts hadn't been totally wasted. She smiled at him.

"You know, I don't think I'd still be alive if I was sitting across anyone else in that room."

"Because we're meant to be together?" he asked. Then he continued answering his own question, "Cause...things like that don't happen to people by accident."

"No. Because you don't have any secrets." She was glad to say that about one of them. It seemed she had another one now.

Jimmy looked at her oddly then kissed her softly.

* * *

**Author's Note: Brainiac to the Rescue! I really thought about this part hard and knowing how powerful Brainiac became in Chloe, taking over her mind and body, it just made sense that he would do so incrementally and would work to protect his host.**


	18. Chapter 18

Jimmy had lied to her. This whole time. They were getting married and he had been lying to her. His family history was a lie. Even his _name_ was a lie. Nothing about him seemed true anymore.

But she was lying too.

Jimmy had given her the chance to get out, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't throw away all they had. A_normal_ guy that would love her and be with her always. She refused to think that sounded a lot like settling.

He had said, "A guy like me... doesn't get a girl like you, Chloe. Life - it doesn't work like that."

She had kissed him and told him, "Yeah, it does."

But she couldn't silence her doubts or her racing mind.

She needed to talk to someone about this. She wished Lana was still around. Lana must have had the same doubts before her wedding - which had proven disastrous. What if she was also making a mistake? Though Jimmy was certainly no Lex Luthor. She had just gotten Lois to accept Jimmy, so she couldn't talk to her. And Clark wouldn't understand. He thought there could only ever be one love, so Jimmy must be hers. He wouldn't have room for doubt.

Strangely, the person that her mind suggested she talk to was Davis. Maybe because he knew some of what she was hiding and he hadn't run away. Maybe because he was also part of those secrets. Maybe just because everything felt so clear around him. Or maybe she just wanted to see her friend. _Friend._

Chloe picked up the phone and hit the speed dial key for Davis.

He finally picked up on the fourth ring just before it went to voicemail. His voice was thick and muffled.

"H-Hello?"

"Davis, it's Chloe."

"Chloe?" His voice sounded slightly clearer and she heard a rustling noise. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Were you sleeping? I thought you were on shift today?"

"Yes, I was sleeping, I just worked a triple. How did you know I was originally supposed to work today?"

"Oh, uh, I thought since you worked swing yesterday during the party you would do the same today." She was pretty proud of her lie. It was made up on the spot, but completely plausible. And it didn't reveal she had memorized his schedule. Though his having to work during the party had been a surprise. She just thought it was bad luck in a last minute shift-cover. _But he had done a triple? How had that come about?_

"Ah, no, just got off a bit ago. But it's ok. Tell me what's up."

He sounded clearer now. And she stopped hearing the sound of sheets and blankets rustling in the background. She wondered what he slept in. Boxers and a shirt? The lounge pants she had seen? Nothing?

She smothered a giggle as she pictured him saying "Chanel Number Five."

"Um, something happened after the party. And I'm ok now and everything, but I could use someone to talk to." She realized he might think it was urgent, so she quickly rushed on, "It doesn't have to be now or anything, but maybe tomorrow?"

The phone was silent. She twisted a strand of hair nervously. Finally she couldn't wait any more.

"Davis? You there?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. I was thinking." He paused again. "Ok, yeah, I can do tomorrow night. Where? The café again?"

She thought for a second and quickly discarded the idea. This was a conversation that would probably require alcohol.

"No, how about that little microbrew pub on Front street?"

"Yeah, I know it. Eight PM?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." She laughed. "Should I say 'Good Night' this early?"

She heard the smile in his voice as he replied, "Try 'Sweet Dreams.'"

She knew a smile was in her voice too. "Sweet Dreams." _Dream of me?_ her traitorous mind added.

"Thanks." He hung up. She hit the end button and found herself smiling at the phone. She was already feeling better. Talking to Davis gave her such clarity. She could hardly wait for tomorrow.

* * *

**Author's Note: I think at this point,if Chloe had her mind intact she would have seriously been reconsidering marrying Jimmy. That she wasn't I think showed her damaged mental state. I wanted to acknowledge that here. I know this chapter is really short, but the next is very long and I think you will really like it!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chloe walked into the mostly empty pub promptly at 8pm the next night. Davis was already at the bar drinking from a pint glass of some dark beer. He turned as she entered and smiled. He was wearing yet another dark t-shirt and jeans. Though his wardrobe seemed to lack variety, so couldn't argue with the way the material clung to him. Banishing that thought, she briskly moved towards him and pulled up the barstool next to him.

A group of college girls were in the far corner near the small stage. A sign over the stage proudly declared "Wednesdays are karaoke night! 8pm - 2am" From the noise of the girls as they sorted through binders she guessed listed songs, they were here to sing. She smiled fondly. She would have to tell Lois about this. Louis would love to belt out her White Snake.

She finished settling her coat and purse onto the stool back and settled into the seat. She turned and smiled at Davis as he looked at her with that lopsided smile of his.

"Were you early?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I hate being late. It just strikes me as rude."

Chloe couldn't help thinking of all the times Clark was late or stood her up. It was usually for a good reason, but still...

"What did you get?" she asked instead.

"This really nice brown ale. Care to try?" He pushed the glass towards her.

She didn't normally like darker beers, but was curious about his tastes. She took a sip. It was surprisingly mellow and not at all heavy. She met his eyes for permission and took a second sip. Pushing the glass back to him, she waved the bartender over.

"Can I get what he has, please?"

"Coming up," the bartender replied and moved over to the taps.

Looking back she saw Davis was studying her. The half-smile was gone, and she couldn't quite read his expression.

"What?" she asked to break the silence.

"You sounded upset yesterday, Chloe. What's wrong? Spill." He took a sip of beer.

She thought back. _Yes, there was something she had wanted to discuss...what was it? _She was drawing a blank. That kept happening and it was getting frustrating. _Something about Jimmy?_ With an audible sigh, she gave up.

"I don't remember, so I guess it wasn't that important."

Placing down his glass, Davis looked at her intently. "You sure? You sounded pretty rattled." He cocked his half smile again. "Though I was kind of delirious from lack of sleep."

She slowly smiled back. Then turned as the bartender placed her beer in front of her on one of those little napkins.

"Put it on my tab," Davis told the bartender.

"No, no. I can pay," Chloe said as she turned to open her purse.

"You got last time." He smiled more broadly.

The smile defeated her. "Fine. Thank you." She sipped the beer and placed it down again.

Glancing out of the side of his eye at her, Davis suddenly chuckled.

"What?" she asked. The chuckle had a slightly evil note.

"You have foam on your lip." He reached his thumb over and wiped it off. But he didn't pull his hand away. He began tracing her upper lip with that thumb. His smile faded and his eyes turned dark as he watched his thumb move over her lip. Unconsciously her lips parted. Then his thumb moved to the full lower lip. The eyes that flicked up to meet hers were full of heat and intensity.

Chloe was frozen. The dark fires in his molten eyes consumed her. Nothing but his thumb touched her and she felt her heart beating erratically. _Her heart._ The memory of her new power snapped the spell for her. She pulled back slightly.

"I think you got it," she said shakily.

Davis shook himself slightly as he too tried to return to the ease of the moment before he touched her. He closed his eyes for a breath. Without looking towards her, he picked up his beer and drained about half.

"Yeah, sorry." He cleared his throat and continued, "So anyway, since your initial reason for meeting no longer applies, what do you have in mind?" he asked in more normal voice. When he glanced a her his eyes were back to a mild brown.

Looking around the bar frantically her eyes lit on the group of girls. She needed a distraction ASAP so she blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"Shots!"

Davis looked dumbfounded but she waved the bartender over. She knew this wasn't what Davis had expected. That actually made it kind of fun. Maybe she could run with this.

Turning to the bartender she smilingly held up 2 fingers. "Tequilas, please." With her other hand she pointed with a thumb at Davis. "His tab."

As the bartender moved away she winked at the still dumbfounded Davis. She smiled slyly and leaning her chin onto her hand said, "I think we are going to make you regret your generosity."

He smiled a huge beautiful grin at her. It made his eyes dance mischievously as he got into the idea. It seemed like far too long since she had just had some honest-to-goodness FUN.

Their shots arrived with lemon wedges adorning the top and a shaker of salt. Lois had taught her years ago the mechanics of tequila shots. She efficiently licked her hand, and salted it. Her eyes met Davis'. He seemed kind of impressed. He quickly did the same. _So he is no stranger to shots either_ she thought the lemon wedge in one hand and the shot in the other, Chloe raised it until Davis clicked his against it. They drained the shots in a single gulp and bit into the wedges.

The sheer silliness of doing shots with a sexy new friend after the trauma of the kidnapping and the stress of planning the engagement party had Chloe feeling slightly wild. The girls started singing Britney Spears on the stage. She slammed the glass down and meeting Davis' smiling eyes, she cried "Another round!"

* * *

Slamming the shot glass down on the bar next to the others in the line, Chloe turned to Davis again. She was feeling slightly bleary, but his twinkling, delighted eyes and broad smile were in sharp focus. Placing one arm on the bar, she leaned her head into her hand. She smiled wickedly.

"Truth or Dare?" she challenged.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Really?" he asked.

"Truth or Dare!" she said louder and more insistently.

Sighing heavily, he swiveled his barstool to face her.

"Truth."

"What made you decide to become a paramedic?" She figured to start easy.

"There is so much pain and ugliness in the world and I wanted to do something to help. I thought about becoming a doctor, but I like the immediacy of being a paramedic. I'm right there when they need someone most. I get them through the hump until the doctors can take over."

Chloe smiled. She thought it would be something like that.

"Truth or dare?" he challenged her in turn as he took a sip from his neglected beer.

Chloe thought about telling him about mixing beer and shots, but if he didn't know by now, she figured he needed to learn the hard way. So feeling slightly evil she said, "Truth."

"Where did you learn to do shots like such a pro?" he smiled at his teasing question.

Chloe laughed. "That would be from my big cousin, Lois. She is a military brat and seems to have gotten drunk on just about every vile beverage known the world over. She said she couldn't leave me to disgrace the family name."

Davis laughed. "Ah yes. I remember meeting her with the Oliver thing. She seems like a piece of work."

She smiled fondly as she thought of Lois. "She is." Shifting slightly, Chloe continued with, "My turn."

"Shoot."

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

She had hoped he would say that. "Do you always work out in front of the windows with the curtains open?"

He looked surprised. "Well yeah. I like to look out on the city and the fresh air is nice and...wait. How do you know that?"

She decided to hedge slightly. She didn't think _Because I was eye stalking you from outside_ was a good reply.

"I saw you wrapping up that night I came over." She smiled lopsidedly. "Are you just showing off when you do that?"

He took another pull of beer and eyed her sideways. "Technically that is now two questions."

"Humor me."

"No, I'm not showing off. If that was my goal, I would actually go to a gym. Impress the rats. I just like the focus I get working out at home."

She smiled broadly and wickedly. "And you can sing along."

"How would you know...no, wait." He shook his head, "Nevermind. Doesn't matter. But yeah I like to sing." He hid behind another sip of beer and Chloe smiled at his discomfort, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Clark was so strange and serious these days. Jimmy was so sensitive - he took teasing for criticism. And Lois was gone so often working late. She missed teasing a friend.

Recovering himself, Davis turned to her with a decidedly evil expression. "Truth or Dare?" he challenged.

_Oh no, I know you want to ask about how I knew about your sexy workout time. No way am I falling for that._

"Dare," she challenged right back.

He grinned triumphantly. She narrowed her eyes again. _Why do I feel like I was just trapped?_

"Speaking of singing..." He spun his chair around and called over to the girls who were taking a break from karaoke. "Excuse me ladies, do you mind if my friend here sings a number?"

In reply the girls lept up from their seats and cried out their approval in the manner of college girls everywhere - "Wooooo!"

Davis spun back around to face Chloe with a Cheshire cat smile. Then he had the nerve to wink.

"My lady, your audience awaits." Then he gave a little seated bow. _A bow!_

Chloe glared at him. "I'll get you for this."

"I'd love to see you try," he smiled back.

Throwing her head back, Chloe marched over to the cluster of girls. They greeted her enthusiastically with a cluster of names and handed her one of the binders of songs. Their good humor quickly melted her annoyance and she met their smiles in turn. She picked the first song that she recognized and liked. It was an old favorite. She told the karaoke operator her selection and moved up to the small stage. Moving across the small stage she stood in front of the microphone stand. She couldn't see well with the spotlight shining on her, but for good measure she sent a glare in the general direction of Davis. Then she turned to face the screen where the words would appear.

As the first bars of music poured forth from the speaker the girls let out a wild whoop.

_You keep saying, you got something for me  
Something you call love but confess_

She felt her hips begin to shift back and forth.

_You've been messin' where you shouldn't have been messin'_

Now her upper body was getting into it, so she gripped the microphone on the stand.

_And now someone else is getting all your best_

She gave up dignity as the refrain hit and took the microphone from the stand. She began to walk across the stage. She knew all the words anyway and didn't need the screen to prompt.

_These boots are made for walking  
And that's just what they'll do  
One of these days these boots  
Are gonna walk all over you_

It had been a very long time, but she and Lois used to sing the song during sleepovers. They would put on their mother's shoes and dance along. Without thinking she moved into the song choreography. When she spun around and did a bootie twitch while she looked over her shoulder the college girls went wild. She hear a shrill whistle from the back. _Was that Davis?_

_Yeah, you keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'  
And you keep losing when you oughta not bet  
You keep samin' when you oughta be a changin'  
Now, what's right is right but you ain't been right yet_

She did a little shimmy and moved into the refrain again. The girls joined in singing with her. Chloe felt like a rock star with her own back up singers.

_These boots are made for walking  
And that's just what they'll do  
One of these days these boots  
Are gonna walk all over you_

As she marched back across the stage she popped two buttons on her blouse to reveal some more cleavage.

_You keep playin' where you shouldn't be playin'  
And you keep thinkin' that you'll never get burnt  
Ha! _

Chloe snapped her head forward so her hair went wild and a piece covered one eye. Putting her arms tight against her sides she squeezed to press her breasts up and together.

_I've just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah  
And what he knows you ain't had time to learn_

She did a full spin and was very thankful the microphone was cordless.

_These boots are made for walking  
And that's just what they'll do  
One of these days these boots  
Are gonna walk all over you_

She moved into a fun quick two-step as the final beat picked up.

_Are you ready, boots?  
Start walking_

The girls were all dancing and going crazy at their table and she heard loud masculine laughter from Davis' direction. She sent an exaggerated wink that way and took a bow as the song closed.

As she passed by the girls they cheered wildly and she made polite and cheerful comments in reply. As she left the glare of the lights she saw Davis smiling hugely, clapping wildly, and whistling catcalls. She knew she was grinning like and idiot, but didn't care. _God! That was just so much FUN!  
_

As she got back to their seats, Chloe grabbed Davis' half-full beer and drained it. Her own was long gone. She pushed aside the thought that maybe she should take her own advice about mixing beer and shots.

They were both laughing together.

Davis waved his empty beer glass at the bartender to indicate a refill. Turning back to her, he smiled. "So I guess you showed me. You may have missed your calling, Chloe."

She laughed because she knew that she couldn't carry a tune. The fun was in the performance. But it seemed that Davis understood that.

The bartender actually brought over a beer for each of them. Taking hers up she looked over the rim at Davis. "I think you owe me a song."

"Does that mean you expect me to choose Dare next?"

"Yup."

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint a lady," he said in an exaggerated drawl.

Some of the girls had just wrapped up a song and were moving off the stage back to their friends. Davis took a long pull of beer and moved over to the group.

She couldn't hear what he said to the girls, but she could tell they were drawn in by his easy manner. _And good looks. _She quickly shut that thought down. Though she didn't draw her eyes away from his finely shaped backside as he leaned over the girls' table. Almost as if he could sense her eyes, he glanced over at her. She knew he had totally caught her checking him out and could feel heat rush to her cheeks. He grinned and winked before turning back to the girls. She expected he was trying to charm them into letting him jump his song in front of theirs. He must have gotten his way, because he was smiling as he moved away from the group and went over to the karaoke machine guy.

He moved up onto the stage and a new persona seemed to take over. He moved to the microphone stand and grasped it in both hands. He closed his eyes and seemed to center and ground himself. As the music started she didn't immediately recognize the intro.

_Prison gates won't open up for me  
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'  
Oh, I reach for you_

But once the words began she was able to place it - _Savin' Me_ by Nickleback. _Davis likes Nickleback?_ But as she watched him standing still on the stage with his eyes closed and nothing moving but his head and hands as he gripped the microphone she was swept up. He had an unexpectedly _powerful_ voice.

_Well I'm terrified of these four walls  
These iron bars can't hold my soul in  
All I need is you_

Suddenly his eyes opened. Even though she knew he should be blinded, she felt like he was meeting her eyes.  
_  
Come, please, I'm callin'  
And oh I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'_

And it was as if he really was calling to her.

_Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be_

He kept hold of her eyes and Chloe couldn't breathe.  
_  
Say it for me, say it to me_

Chloe felt she would say anything to him he ever wanted from her.

_And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me_

He suddenly released her eyes as he closed his own. It struck Chloe that he was avoiding getting an answer to the song lyrics. Like he didn't know if he would be worth saving.

Then his voice swelled again as he clung to the mike and tilted it slightly with the power of his emotion for the song. His eyes remained closed as he internalized the struggle.  
_  
Heaven's gates won't open up for me  
With these broken wings I'm fallin'_

Then his eyes slid open and caught hers again, but this time they were filled with such hope and warmth and...something else. Chloe sat entranced.  
_  
And all I see is you_

And all she could see was him.

_These city walls ain't got no love for me  
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story  
And oh I scream for you_

Her heart thumped wildly.

_Come, please, I'm callin'  
And all I need from you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'_

Without realizing what she did, Chloe got off her stool and slowly moved across the room, closer to the stage as the words poured over her.

_Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be  
Say it for me, say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me_

"Davis," she spoke the word barely above a whisper, but she somehow felt he heard anyway.

_And all I need is you  
Come, please, I'm callin'  
And oh, I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'_

As the instrumental section took over, she and Davis stood frozen. Just staring into each other's eyes.

The spell was suddenly broken as two of the girls noticed her and rushed over.

"Oh my God! Your boyfriend is so hot! And funny! And amazingly talented! You are so lucky!" Chloe didn't turn to face the gushing girl. She just kept looking up at Davis.

_Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be  
Say it for me, say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me_

Chloe knew she had been silent for too long. She finally broke eyes from Davis. She got out, "Uh, no. No, he isn't my boyfriend."

The girls looked at her in surprise and then up at Davis. Davis seemed to pull into himself as if he could somehow feel her rejection.

_Say it if it's worth saving me_

"Are you sure?" one of the girls asked.

_Hurry I'm fallin'_

"Can I have him?" the other asked. She had red hair and lots of breast on display.

_Say it for me, say it to me_

Chloe got the feeling the girl wasn't actually kidding.

_And I'll leave this life behind me_

Chloe met Davis' intense eyes again.

_Say it if it's worth saving me_

Chloe didn't know what Davis needed saving from now, but she vowed to do anything in her power to help this man with the unexpectedly tortured side. She knew that kind of feeling came from real pain. She had had enough pain in her life to know real from fake when it was put on such obvious display. As the music drifted off she saw Davis pull his mask back into place. It was like he was pulling a cloak over the pain he had laid bare on the stage.

As the last note ended, Davis was together again. He smiled broadly and waved at the girls as they clustered around him as he walked down from the stage. The two with her went to join their friends. She saw the redhead slip a piece of paper into his hand.

Chloe swallowed back mixed feelings of loss, and sympathy, and _RAGE_ at the casual play between the redhead and Davis. It was very confusing. Chloe turned on her heel and went back to their drinks. She downed what remained of her beer. She was just replacing the empty glass when Davis made his way back.

"So what did you think?" he said with a smile. Then as she began to gather her jacket and purse, he said in a tone of surprise, "Wait! Where are you going? Did I do something?"

"You were amazing, Davis. But it is late and I should be going." She forced a smile.

He eyed her warily. "You aren't driving, are you? It isn't a good idea after all those shots. You can stay on my couch."

She paused, touched by his concern. She felt a soft smile replace the forced one. "No, I'm not driving. I'll stay at Isis. I have a cot in back for late nights."

He still looked at her warily. Then turning to the bartender he called to close his tab.

Putting on her jacket, Chloe made her final goodbyes. "Well thank you for a great evening, Davis. I'll be going now."

"Wait. The streets aren't safe this late. I'll walk you to Isis."

Chloe paused a moment and had to agree he was right.

Davis got his credit card back and signed the slip. Pulling on his own jacket, he motioned for Chloe to precede him. He got the door when they reached it. She didn't know why that surprised her, but it did. Maybe because none of the other men in her life held doors.

The walked to Isis in mostly silence. It started out uncomfortable, but the more distance they put between the bar and themselves the easier it got. Soon they were shooting silent sideways smiles at each other again.

Finally they reached Isis. Turning to Davis, Chloe said, "Thank you so much for coming out with me tonight, Davis. It really means a lot to me. I'm lucky to have you for a friend."

He was smiling but his eye did a weird tick at the word "friend."

"Good night, Chloe.". He turned to leave, but impulsively Chloe called out to him.

"What? No hug?"

He paused with his back still to her. "Not tonight, Chloe." Then he started walking again.

Chloe felt strangely desolate as she turned to the door for Isis with her key. Things would be clearer in the morning.

And maybe she should call Jimmy and tell him she would be sleeping at Isis tonight. That wouldn't surprise him since he thought she had been working all night. For some reason she hadn't felt comfortable telling him she was meeting Davis for drinks. She paused in the act of opening the door. This was the first time in hours she had thought about Jimmy. How strange that she could so easily forget everything else around Davis. She wasn't sure if this was something she should try to puzzle out or not. She shook her head and closed the door. Either way it could wait for tomorrow.


	20. Chapter 20

Davis woke up with a start to noise and confusion. Where was he? His skin felt tight and...sticky. He was laying down and in pain.

_Oh no. Not Again._

He had to get out of here!

Slowly and painfully he sat up and pulled the blanket that was covering him on the gurney back.

"Davis, you probably shouldn't sit up."

Davis looked up and saw it was Chloe's tall friend talking. His memory filled in the name - Clark Kent.

"W-what happened?" Davis asked, afraid of the answer. _Was it me?_

He tried to piece together his memory. How had he ended up here?

"I was hoping you could tell me. There's no sign of a bomb or any other kind of explosion. Did something attack these people?" Clark asked.

His memory was blacked out again. The last thing he remembered was -

"I don't know. I, uh, I was walking with takeout."

Clark looked at him in disbelief and maybe...accusation? _Or was that just his own conscience adding that?_

"You don't remember coming in here? The screams?"

Davis really didn't want to hear about that. He could feel the blood all over his body and it sickened him.

"No," he replied, unable to meet Clark's eyes.

Clark pursed his lips. "Must have gotten a concussion."

Davis decided to take the out Clark offered. "Yeah..." He thought he had the pain under control now, so stood up slowly. He had to get _away from here_.

"Yeah, I probably took a pretty good blow, but I'm fine now."

Slowly, painfully, he began making his way out of the ruined club. Clark trailed along behind him. "You're not fine. You're covered in blood. You're obviously injured. You need to go to the hospital. Let them take care of you."

Didn't this idiot realize that _he_ was the guy that dealt with the injured in the first place?

"I can take care of myself," he replied in what he knew was a not-too-friendly way. Friend of Chloe's or not, he just didn't like that guy. He turned away and continued toward the exit for the club.

He was stopped at the elevator by a uniformed officer who needed his information and statement. Hiding his pain, Davis flashed his paramedic credentials. The officer assumed he had rushed in to help. Davis chose not to correct him. He just wanted OUT. He told the cop he was heading over to the hospital. Giving his contact information, he arranged to come in the next day and give a statement.

Deciding that the hospital was a good idea, Davis walked the few blocks from the club and let himself in through a back entrance near the employee locker room. He didn't want to be seen. But the hospital was closer than home and would have medical supplies to patch himself up. He figured with as much blood as he felt on his skin that he would probably need sutures for one or more cuts. The hospital would also have clean clothes in his locker and he could catch a ride home from one of the guys.

* * *

He peeled off the stiff, bloody clothes and threw them onto the bench in the shower room of the hospital employee area. It was late and he couldn't stand the sticky feeling of the blood another second. He didn't even stop to get the clean clothes or soap out of his locker. He would fetch them after he was rinsed and do a full wash and redressing. No one else was likely to come in at this time of night.

He turned the water to scorching level and gratefully moved under the streaming water. He expected his wounds would sting from the heat and intrusion of water, but he needed it. He needed warmth to penetrate the cold knot in his stomach. _Had he been involved in the violence in the club?_

As the water poured over his naked flesh, the blood washed away to reveal...perfect, unbroken skin. He began to move his hands over his body, checking. He didn't have any injuries. How was that possible? That much blood, he must be cut all over. Unless...none of the blood was his.

He felt so suddenly, overwhelmingly sick, that he had to sit down. He curled up into a ball right there on the shower floor as the hot water poured over him, washing the bloody evidence away.

Making him clean - though he felt he would never be clean again.

Rocking back and forth, choking on the bile rising in his throat, he felt like he must be going insane.

_Am I a killer?_


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, Davis had a plan. He learned at the police station when he gave his statement that the police had brought some of the victim's bodies to the hospital morgue as overflow from their own. He would test his blood against some of the evidence collected from the victims. The reports he had swiped from the station had given him the names and photos of some victims thought to be part of the same monstrous killer. Though he didn't have any wounds, he knew that didn't necessarily mean anything. He healed quickly and a simple scratch might have already closed up. His aches and pains from the night before were already gone.

Davis went to hospital and got into the uniform from his locker so he would blend in. After reviewing the reports and memorizing the victim's names, he put the evidence files into his locker and made his way into the main hospital area. He could just duck in and out to do a blood sample. It would be easy to submit it as part of a routine panel testing. Then he could get some evidence from one of the corpses in the morgue and submit that as part of the police investigative data. On both parts, it was a slight forgery of documents, but nothing that would raise flags.

Ducking into an open bed in the emergency ward, he quickly drew the blood and slipped out again.

He was just walking out of the ER ward when he heard someone calling his name. He tucked the blood sample into this pocket and turned around.

"Yeah. That's me. What can I do for you?"

A smiling boy-man with blondish curly hair, blue eyes, and a wide smile stuck out his hand.

"Jimmy Olsen," he introduced himself.

"As in Chloe's Jimmy?" He remembered the name from the engagement party invite though Chloe had never told him her fiancee's name. He took a longer look at the kid. _This was who Chloe was marrying?_

"She's mentioned you a few times. I hope you don't mind me surprising you like this," Jimmy said in a friendly, open way.

"No. It's no problem."

Davis had trouble meeting the guy's eyes. He felt guilty about his feelings towards his fiancee...and he had trouble equating this boy-man with a woman like Chloe. But a thought occured to him -

"Uh, is this about Chloe?" That had his head snapping up to meet Jimmy's eyes.

Jimmy's face was serious now. "Yeah, I've just been going through her PDA, checking up on who she's been hanging out with."

Guilt washed over Davis as he thought about his time spent with Chloe. While they hadn't done anything _wrong_, he knew he would have liked to. His active fantasies of the blonde had become a nightly ritual.

Suddenly, Jimmy burst out - "No, no, no." He chuckled. "I'm just -I'm just kidding. I'm not some psycho."

_The kid had no idea..._

"Yeah, you never can tell these days. So... " he trailed off questioningly. He knew Jimmy wouldn't seek him out for no reason.

"So, I'm just trying to get a scoop on this club massacre. We've heard all sorts of stories about this killer - the best that he's a monster with bony eyelids."

_Yeah...so not going there, kid._

"Yeah, I gave my statement to the police. I don't know anything." Davis turned and began walking away. He wanted to get this blood down to the lab.

The kid followed him.

"You know how to drive, don't you?"

_What?_ Davis looked back at Jimmy over his shoulder.

Seeing his look, Jimmy continued, "Look, I just want to ride along. I figure ambulances are first on the scene. Maybe we'll beat everyone to the next one."

Even on a regular night, arriving at the scene of an accident could be grisly. With the way things had been recently with the attacks..._the attacks he was responsible for?_...it would be a disaster. He had to cut this. Stopping he turned to face Jimmy.

"Trust me - you do not want to ride shotgun on my watch."

The look on the kid's face showed he clearly didn't understand.

"You don't want to be the first guy there. It's not something that you want to see, given the choice."

"Come on. I mean, can't you do a favor for a bro?"

_Seriously?_

Seeing that wasn't going to get him anywhere, Jimmy changed tactics. "Okay. Then...how about for Chloe?"

Thinking fast, Davis knew the kid had him trapped. He couldn't have this kid hate him. Jimmy could make it difficult for him and Chloe to spend time together. He couldn't have that.

He almost had to admire the skillful way the boy-man had manipulated him. He chuckled a bit in appreciation.

"Meet me downstairs at 8:00."

"Thank you," Jimmy said sincerely before turning and walking away.  
_  
How had he gotten so trapped? _

He needed to find out about the killings, not babysit the man who was marrying the girl _he_ wanted.

Deciding to do the only thing he could control right now, Davis turned and headed for the lab drop off. Then he would go to the morgue for the second sample.


	22. Chapter 22

Davis looked over several bodies in the morgue before finding one that had what he needed. A corpse of a young man had some flesh beneath the fingernails. it looked like he scratched at his attacker. He took the plastic sample dish and using blunted tweasers, scraped the flesh into the dish.

The door opened to the exam room and Chloe's light filled the dark room.

"Chance meeting in a moldy basement over a corpse. Will the romance never end?"

_Romance? _No, he couldn't think about that now. Chloe was light and life and everything beautiful. And this was anything but...

Instead he said softly, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see the coroner's report on the latest victim. She was a new member of my Isis group."

Ah, he expected he knew which girl Chloe had come to see. The girl next door was in her late teens and also a suspected victim of the killer that took out the people in the club. Chloe must have seen him in here from the adjoining room.

Not knowing what else to say, he responded simply, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah. I mean, she was afraid of being targeted, and now..."

Chloe's distress pulled at him, but at least here he could do something.

"It wasn't your fault."

Chloe responded with a guilt heavy voice. "She was there because of me. And to top it all off, there area few trigger-happy people who are convinced that one of my kids is behind all of this."

_No, it's not your kids, Chloe. Because I think __**I**__ am the reason for all this..._

Moving around the table with the body, Chloe moved closer to him. "And you? Checking for strep throat?" He guessed she was trying to lighten the mood, but it had the opposite effect.

Guilt and pain washed over him.

"Look, you don't have to worry, Chloe. I-I don't think that one of your clients did this."

She looked at him very intently and responded, "I'd like to think so, too. But I still need to find a suspect."

_You have one, Chloe. And you are looking at him._ He felt tears begin to pool on the edges of his eyes.

Seeing his upset, she asked, "Davis? What is it?"

He knew she would never look at him the same, but he couldn't lie to her.

"Um... I'm afraid that I might be the killer."

* * *

_What? No way, _Chloe thought.

The Davis she knew and...cared for couldn't have done this.

"Look Davis," she responded, "I just need to clear up some things, but then we will go to Isis and figure this out. Promise me not to do anything stupid until then."

* * *

Davis was amazed she hadn't immediately turned from him in disgust. That more than anything made him acquiesce. He would drop off the tissue sample at the lab and then follow Chloe. He wasn't sure why she seemed to think he was innocent, but he was desperate to believe her.

"OK," he agreed.

* * *

As they got into Chloe's car, she turned to him with one word. "Spill." Haltingly at first, Davis began telling Chloe about the night before - the blackouts, waking up at the club, and the blood covering him. Chloe was silent, listening. When they finally reached Isis, Davis expected the strain was too much for Chloe, because she started speaking even before the door to the office was shut.

"Davis, I know that you are not responsible for these killings, okay? I know you." She was a bundle of nerves and energy. Stripping off her jacket, Chloe had the look of a woman on a mission. He turned to close the door she had left open behind her. She continued with spirit, "You save people every day. What could make you think that you were a brutal serial killer?"

Having finally said the words out loud seemed to have broken something inside him. Now hearing Chloe describe "a brutal serial killer" had him folding his arms over his chest defensively as he paced out his own fear-filled energy. But again, he couldn't lie to her. She had to know everything now, and she had to understand that this wasn't a conclusion he had come to easily.

"Look, Chloe, I've run the self-denial mantra for weeks, but how do you explain the blackouts? How do you explain that I was covered in blood?! None of it was mine." _She had pain in her eyes. Was it for him? _Without breaking, he continued, "I want to believe that you're right more than anyone, but..."

Again, with the focus of a woman on a mission, she responded, "Then it's just a matter of finding the real killer." She leaned down to pull up something on her laptop and began typing quickly.

He couldn't believe it. She really believed in him. Even with the evidence pointing to his guilt, her faith in _him_ had her believing in his innocence. _Why would she believe in him so much?_ He had to know.

He asked in wonder, "You really don't believe that it could be me, do you?"

"No," she said firmly and without a hint of hesitation. Just one word, but it said so much...

"Even though we just met?" She kept typing away. _Could she believe in him, because she felt something for him?_ It was the only thing that might make any sort of sense. The immensity of his hope overwhelmed him and he choked out, "You're really...leaping out on a limb for me."

She looked up at him calmly. "Well, if what they say is true and fools do rush in, then I have definitely earned the mantle of 'village idiot' on this one."

Her throw away comment was more than he could take. "And then you just toss it all aside with a healthy dose of self-deprecation." He shook his head that she didn't seem to realize the enormity of her leap of faith.

Pausing in her typing, he seemed to have hit upon something sensitive to her. "Please don't make me a saint," she said.  
_  
Didn't she realize that she was better than a saint? She was an angel - his angel. _But he didn't think he could say that right now. She would just shrug that off too. He settled for shaking his head and turning away.

"What?" she asked in response anyway.

Settling on the couch, he decided to give her a hint of his feelings. "Luck isn't part of my daily routine, Chloe. But I just -I feel like..." He paused, unsure of how much to say. Looking at her hopefully, she responded by raising her brows in question. The honest unspoken request for him to go on did it. Finally, he decided to jump in. "I feel like you were sent to me."

He saw her breath catch at the weight of his words, but she caught herself quickly. That reaction gave him hope, but closing the laptop she shifted the conversation back to the initial problem. "You are not a serial killer," she said firmly moving to sit next to him on the couch. "Look, Davis, when did those blackouts start happening?"

"For as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I-I would go a couple months without a blackout, but they're just -they're getting so frequent." His voice broke at the end as the stress of the situation came back to him again.

Putting the pieces together, Chloe asked, "Is that why you bounced from foster home to foster home?"

Sighing heavily, Davis admitted his deepest, darkest fear. The thing that had him up nights. The thing that made him leave every person that got too close. The thing he had never told a single soul - ever. "I've always felt like... kind of like there was this darkness inside me... just fighting to get out."

His eyes burned and his throat was closing. _Was this it? Was this when she would finally see him for a monster?_

But that didn't happen.

Instead, Chloe looked at him compassionately before stating softly, "So you closed yourself off to everyone." She had it right. He shouldn't be surprised by her perception, but it was more than he could take. He turned away. He couldn't look at her right now, it was just too much.

But following up on that profound insight, she asked in a tone of incredulous surprise, "After all these years of keeping this secret, why are you telling me?"

He knew there was no way she didn't see into his heart for that answer. As perceptive as she was, she had to _know_. He turned and looking into her eyes, he saw denial. For some reason, she was afraid to admit to the truth. Even to herself. Well, he had gone too far tonight. There had been too much truth tonight to let her continue thinking a lie. He wouldn't let her escape so easily.

"I think you know.," he said simply. He turned away as he gave her a second to finally accept the truth she had been pushing away. After he felt his words had struck he continued, "I've - I've never met anyone like you."

But what if she was wrong? If he was the monster, he didn't deserve someone like her. His fear returned. "Chloe, but what if I'm right? What if you're looking at a murderer?"

Again, Chloe sounded like the voice of reason. "Davis, there are lots of people who could have done these killings. And we're gonna find who did."

Reaching forward, she pulled him into an embrace. He closed his eyes as pain washed over his soul. He still feared he was the killer, but her faith in him was a balm. Pain and comfort fought within him as he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what to think, but Chloe was holding him either way. Man or monster, she was holding him.


End file.
